


Little Bear

by B_angst_tan



Category: K.A.R.D (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-18
Packaged: 2019-11-13 05:14:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 29,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18025376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_angst_tan/pseuds/B_angst_tan
Summary: You’ve always wanted a hybrid. Not truly being able to afford one makes it seem impossible that you’d have one anytime soon. Until the opportunity presents itself as if by miracle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Genre: hybrid!au. 
> 
> >Nothing serious yet. Some fluff. But let me know if you like it.<
> 
> Warnings: Mentions of sex. Hybrid/human.
> 
> Word Count: 5k

“Cutie!” You heard Somin call for her gorgeous Chocolate Labrador hybrid. She loved calling him pet names and you often found yourself doing the same. Hoseok was such a sweetheart and was pretty much the happiest pup ever. She’d had him for almost 12 years now and while he wasn’t as cute as he used to be, his bright smile and floppy ears had everyone around him in a great mood and smothering him with affection any chance they received.

You had always wanted one of your own, devotedly loyal and loving to you only, as Hoseok was to Somin. Hybrids weren’t just animal replacements, they were real companions. Depending on the breed, you had a human with animal qualities that was usually loyal to its caregiver. The only catch was that they were expensive.

They had initially been made in labs, and as time progressed, scientists realized they were fertile and really had heats and could procreate, they took off. The only limitations that were noticed was that they couldn’t reproduce between different species, including humans. Which had opened a whole new world. Many people wanted them for sexual companions and while that was a private owners choice, some seedy places started opening up that offered hybrid sex during heats and all kinds of crazy things.

So to stop the sexualization and misuse of hybrids, they became privatized sector headed and watched over by the Hybrid Protective Services, or HPS, and even private breeders had to register all hybrids and litters. This meant that you’d have to save a load of money if ever wanted to even consider thinking about about owning a hybrid.

And as fate would have it, that wasn’t an option. However Somin didn’t mind that you enjoyed spending time with her hyper Chocolate Lab. This meant that Hoseok was available to receive and give affection whenever you wanted to meet up or even just see him, especially since he thought you gave the second best belly rubs in the world. You were also positive that she knew you felt a bit distraught at not being able to afford one yourself.

Which was why you found yourself at the beach on a warmer than usual and slightly less windy January morning. You had just come back from wading and running through the freezing water and splashing Hoseok. You were zapped of your energy and needed to recuperate, but it seemed that Hoseok still had energy to burn. Somin had pulled a frisbee out of her beach bag when she saw you couldn’t hang with Hoseok anymore. They were playing a comfortable game of toss which let you take a minute to sit on your blanket and get some sun. You couldn’t seem to understand where his boundless supply of energy came from as you watched him run after the toy. All you knew was that it was making you feel more tired, if that was even possible, so you laid back and took deep breaths to relax hoping to calm down as the cool air burned your lungs.

“So when are you going to get your own hybrid?” Your lids were closed, yet you still managed to roll your eyes at her annoyingly pestering question. And not to mention that it hurt you a little. You couldn’t get one because you couldn’t afford one. It hurt that your money struggle was the only and largest hindrance in your absolute wanting of a hybrid companion.

“When I can afford one. And I want to save up on my own for one. Don’t offer.” Angling your head towards her and peeking beneath your lashes made you regret your snappy answer. She was smiling at you, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes since the were filled with what seemed like a mix of sadness and longing.

You already knew where this was going and you hated this conversation, seemingly having it every time you wanted to visit Hoseok. “Babe, I would love nothing more than to help you get a lifelong companion and see you happy to share your affection and love with another. You give so much love to my cutie and you help me out all the time, he loves you more than any other person in his life.”

You couldn’t help the way your heart practically tore at the seams when she told you this. “I know and I love you for caring so much Minie. Thanks.” She really did care and love you deeply. You two had a bond that would be hard to break and was tested over the many years you’d known her. But she always had her heart in the right place and that made it easy to come back and seek each other’s forgiveness time and time again.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

Somin grew up with money, and while she claimed she wasn’t rich, you begged to differ. Her family home was a 3 acre estate in the ritzy part of town. Growing up, she’d had a maid and a housekeeper, which were two very different jobs, according to her. Aside from that, she had gotten every material possession she could have ever wanted, including Hoseok. You felt that she was more than able to to take excellent care of her loyal companion.

You hadn’t experienced an extravagant life like Somin had, but you were making something of yourself now. You were able to make ends meet better than most, yet you still didn’t have enough to afford a hybrid. Not only was the cost currently out of your earnings bracket, but it could take you years of saving to be able to even afford one, if the prices hadn’t gone up. They were a status symbol.

As you were lost in your thoughts later on that night, cuddled on the couch, enjoying some tea and Netflix before bed, the feeling of inadequacy crept back up. Maybe a real cat or dog, or even a cute exotic animal, could be your escape blanket. They were just as loving without the major costs and a few smaller cons. It was something that gave you a little bit of comfort and you wanted to seriously consider it. 

Looking around your house made you feel a little better about your situation; it truely felt like a home You had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and your gorgeous kitchen had tall, glass French doors that looked out to a nice backyard. Gorgeous flower beds bordered the perimeter of your wooden fence and large shady trees made the space comfortable and breezy.. You’d slaved for hours to make the flowers beds and it paid off. Now that everything was bloom, you spent a lot of you time outside, relaxing on your sweet, wooden swing that was stained a rich, dark mahogany. Somin had given it to you as a housewarming gift and it was the pride of your garden situated off center in the shadier section of your backyard.

You were making something worthy of your labor, and you mainly worked from home, that being one of the factors that made you buy a house you’d be sure to be comfortable spending so much time in.

It reminded you again of how lonely living alone could be at times. And it made you feel that tomorrow would be dedicated to finding you a companion and eased your feelings as you made your way to your plush bed to turn in for the night.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

As you were roused out of sleep, something felt wrong. Weirdly familiar, but definitely out of place. There it was again and then against your cheek. And again. Then you placed the sensation and bolted upright. Knocking heads with Hoseok and hearing giggling from the left of you made you realize that Somin had let herself and Hoseok in and was waking you up.

“Ohh, y/n! I-I didn’t mean to-to hurt youuu…” You heard the whimper in his voice and you found yourself let go of the knot that was rapidly forming on your head to rub at the anxious puppy’s own knot and gave him a good ear scratch. Somin made eye contact with you and rolled her eyes at his dramatics and your willingness to give in to his display.

After a few minutes, when the puppy had calmed, you addressed your unexpected company. “So, what exactly do I owe to this early morning visit?” Hobi’s tail started wagging rapidly and pulled your attention to him. “Can I? Can I please tell her? Pleeeeeaaassse!” He was licking and kissing at Somin’s neck, being extra touchy in a way she was very much against unless they were alone. She had confided in you that she let Hoseok claim her when she was ovulating, or as Hobi called it, her “heats”, sealing their bond on a deeper level.

As realization set in that you were bearing witness to their PDA, her face flushed as she lightly pushed him off and pulled his head to her lap so she could scratch and rub his ears. “Go ahead cutie.”

Hobi looked up to you and was beaming. His ears were upright and he grabbed your hands. “We want you to be happy,Y/n, so happy that we did you a favor. And you can’t say no. You’re not allowed. And I can’t wait to meet your new Hybrid. Cause we got you a Hybrid and we’re so happy. Get a boy. I want to run and play. I don’t need a girl cause Somin let’s me do whatever I want to her whe-” He was cut off by Somin’s hand on his mouth. He whimpered slightly as her face impossibly deepened in color. She bent forward slightly to his forehead and kissed it lightly and pressed a finger to his lips. He smiled bashfully up at his owner as he realized his misstep and he glowed a slight pink, evidence of his human DNA.

However you were shocked at Hobi’s admission. They got you a hybrid? After explaining yourself she still got you one. You were conflicted. “I… Wow. I’m… yeah. I’m really surprised? I think… and shocked or something else. But I told you how I felt!” You met Somin’s eyes and she seemed hesitant.

“I’m sorry. But you’ve been asking to see Hobi so much lately and I don’t mind sharing him AT ALL. Especially when you watch him for me when I’m out of town. And I appreciate it so much. But you’re here all alone and I think it would be amazing to share this beautiful house with a hybrid in need of a home with a wonderful owner. And Hobi wants a new friend.” Somin’s ended her explanation with a smile that was hesitant, showing her curiously of how well you’d take her generosity.

Before you could answer she cut you off. “But there’s a catch! You know my friend Ravi, he’s leading a new hybrid discovery team. And they’d been developing a new exotic breed. It’s some kind of pack animal and they want trial adoptions to study the animal behaviors present in the animals. They aren’t sure how well the animal will take and how much human is present and all that other stuff.”

“So I’ll get to keep a hybrid for a short time, only as part of a scientific study to then give it up because I can’t afford one?” The hopelessness and anxiety was already showing on your face. You wanted something permanent especially with the animal you were going to let in?

“Don’t think of it like that! And I’ve already talked to Ravi, he’s willing to let you keep the animal as long as it’s not a threat to you. Most of the people that are participating in the study are the scientists and other employees that are and are willing to keep the animals since they form a pack for life. It’s a big commitment. And Ravi told me that as long as you know that you will have this hybrid for the rest of its life, he fine with you helping in the participation.” Somin had really thought everything through and only needed your consent it seemed. It also seemed way too good to be true.

“When do I go see him?” You looked at your loving and caring friend with a smile that spoke of your gratitude for her going and finding a way to help even though you’d asked her not to. “Today!” Your eyes widened at the suddenness of everything. She was really withholding this from you. “We saw each other yesterday and you didn’t tell me then?”

“Actually, I was called last night by Ravi, as I had mentioned your situation to him before. He needed one last person to participate. And I know you’ll be willing.” She smiled at you, wiggling her eyebrows up and down at you.

“Ugh, just let me shower and you go make us some coffee.” You rolled your eyes but you couldn’t help the smile creeping up on your face.

You heard Hobi shout out at his good fortune and the possibility of a new friend as you rolled out of bed and headed to your en suite bathroom.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

Your eyes wandered around the generic office you were seated in as you wondered what exactly you should expect for the day. The theme was bland, everything either white or black, and not in a modern minimalistic way. It was kind of depressing, and you got a newfound sense of gratitude for being able to work from your home.

After a short wait, the door was opened and closed and in strode what appeared to be the most handsome doctor you’d ever seen. He took a seat across from you.

Here goes nothing! You thought to yourself. Let’s make a great impression. “Hello, I’m y/n. It’s nice to meet you, and thank you for including me, even on such short notice.” He shook your proffered hand and smiled at your tenaciousness.

“Would you consider yourself an initiator, Miss?”

“You could say that. I work from home most of the time and I have to be in order to get everything done.” You smiled feeling like you were at a job interview.

He nodded at you. “Thats nice to know. I’ll keep it in mind. Well you know why your here. So let’s jump right into everything.” You gave him a quick nod and he continued.

“First off, if you and the hybrid you are paired with develop a bond then you will be allowed to keep them, free of charge. We cannot ask you to pay for the hybrid as this is an experimental batch. We’d be liable if we had you pay for one and then something happened. We do have a lot of paperwork and some breed information that you need to know.”

So far it seemed fine. But you were curious and you didn’t want him to get off track. You chose to stay quiet.

“We managed to make the first successful batch of hybrid sugar gliders. This has been in the works for years since there was so much that could go wrong. And we seem to have a much more humanoid appearing and behaving litter. The next thing we need is to observe their temperaments. Except the one thing we cannot do is observe them in the lab. Each one has refused to acknowledge the other as part of their colony. We have pinned this to the fact that they all have varying amounts of human and sugar glider DNA, meaning they all smell way to different and they all seem to have alpha male qualities. They’ve been together for a month,but they also haven’t fought either which we want to say they they are a bit more docile. This supports the need to have them all observed separately. You following along?” He asked probably noticing that you were looking a little concerned.

“When you say alpha male what exactly are you referring to?” The last thing you wanted was this hybrid pushing you against the wall and taking what he wanted.

He saw his misuse of the term and tried to explain further. “Sugar glider dynamics are somewhat similar to other animals. They have an alpha male, but he usually pairs with one female for life. They do accept other males into their colonies, but these guys don’t seem to take to each other. And the fact that they aren’t fighting is good. They have a more tame human nature that won’t allow for establishing dominance the way animals would. So they just ignore each other. We know they are all alphas though because they scent mark everything and one that comes into their room.” He was searching your face for a reaction. And you were feeling highly contemplative. They wanted you to keep the hybrid if he bonded with you or else they would be taking him back. But maybe that’s just what you needed. A trial run. See if you were even cut out for having a full time companion.

“Anything else I really need to know?” You asked with a small smile.

Ravi looked at your softening expression as a positive. “Yes. They really, really value others. In the sense that when they establish their colony, which would be you and any others that are around often, they have a hard time being alone for long periods of time. Maybe finding a way to get them on a sleep cycle when you’re at work during the day would be best. Their animal counterparts get stressed when they’re alone. So you just have to make sure you can be there for them.”

“I work from home. That’s one of the reasons I was contemplating a hybrid over a pet. I’d like real companionship.” At this Ravi smiled, “Sounds like a match made in heaven. But there’s a small catch-” Of course there is! “-we have more people than hybrids here today. Nothing is guaranteed. We just want them to be comfortable with whom they choose. Don’t be upset, but there’s a chance that you won’t be chosen.”

You shook your head in understanding. The feeling of melancholy was slowly spreading. What were the chances of getting chosen when they were letting the Hybrids choose? You wondered if it was possible to stay optimistic. You smiled at Ravi, feeling that the smile didn’t reach your eyes. He saw this and it seemed like he was sorry. He reached out and you gave him your hand in return. As he shook your hand you felt him tighten his grip on yours as if it was an unspoken apology.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

You weren’t going home with a hybrid today. There were 4 hybrids and they had 20 people scheduled to come in. Only 12 were presently here. Boy, were you upset and feeling very pessimistic with the situation at hand. You all had walked into the waiting room. And they were going to slowly introduce all of you in. The hybrids would get to walk up and meet you if they wanted. No one was allowed to go to them though. Then they let someone know as soon as the hybrids made a decision.

They had everyone listed in order of project sign ups. Which meant you were last to go. Great. You definitely were going to get one. You kind of wanted to go straight home and forget all about this.

The room currently housing the hybrids had glass walls so that everything could be watched. At least you wouldn’t be bored.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

It was your turn. Only one hybrid had chosen a person to go home with. And it was actually really cute. He had walked up to the chosen male and sniffed him and then he grabbed his arm and nuzzled into his neck and they were permitted to leave through a door on the side. You were sure there was more papers to sign and stuff to do. However you were shocked that as the last person going through you’d actually get to be seen. You were feeling much better.

A nameless gentleman dressed in white was at the door. He looked at you and motioned to the door with his head since everyone else had been asked to leave after their walk through. You were happy to at least see them in person. And boy did they all look different. They were also seated in chair at the back of the room and dressed in all white, making them seem angelic. And surprisingly they weren’t very young. They could all pass for their 20’s at least making you wonder how long they’d been here. You still wanted to make a good impression so you placed a smile on your face.

As you walked through the door you looked at each hybrid starting from the left. The first one was tall and lean, really cute, but no smile evident on his face. Dark brown hair covered his head and it looked fluffy and soft. He made eye contact with you, you sniffed in your direction and then turned his head.

You were a little taken aback at his quick disinterest for you. So you focused on the one in the middle. He had both feet on his chair and he holding his knees to his chest, cutely curled up in a tight ball. He didn’t look at you but he had lighter brown hair. So you looked over to last one. Slight surprise passed your faces as he reacted to you. He rolled his eyes and waved in non interest towards your direction. It made you wonder if this happened often. How many people had they actually seen. He was also very handsome, seemingly aware of this as he had a tinge of diva in his mannerisms.

With your peripherals, you noticed the hybrid in the middle had uncurled from his little ball and had cocked his head to the right. You looked back in his direction as he was looking you over. As he looked up, his eyes were locked with yours, seemingly intrigued by whatever he saw. You smiled and turned your head in the opposite direction. He smiled slightly for few seconds. You both played this little game and then it seemed as he realized what he was doing with you and dropped the smile leaving his face devoid of any emotion.

You felt your features drop into the same neutrality. He seemed interested and he hadn’t asked you to leave yet. Maybe he wanted to feel you out a little bit before he made his choice.

He hesitated to get out of his chair and you noticed right away that he was taller than you. And he was approaching you slowly. You wanted to meet him halfway, but you were sure he would take it the wrong way if you moved. So you stayed still. He was bent over right in front of your face and he started to sniff. First the top of your head, followed by your ears, then he sniffed your forehead down your nose and even your lips. He was thoroughly sniffing you. You weren’t quite sure why, but you didn’t want to interrupt him. Then he made eye contact with you as he slowly braced his hands on your shoulders, as if he was asking silent permission. Then he moved off to your left side sniffing along your cheekbone, then sniffing at your ear again and then he was sniffing at your neck. His exhales were warm but your neck was sensitive and his nose was lightly caressing your skin. You lifted your shoulder to slow down his ministrations against your neck, but that made him back up seemingly shocked at your sudden movement.

“You don’t like that?” He spoke to you and his voice was so soft. His gorgeous chocolate eyes were full of apology. You noticed his seemingly reservedness was probably out of shyness. Based on the fact that he’s been curled up in a ball, you guessed his forwardness in sniffling at you was his animal side taking initiative.

“Actually it felt really good, but it tickled a little bit.” You responded in an equally soft tone. When your response met his ears that twitched as you talked you knew he could hear you perfectly.

He started to pout and his full lips calling your attention. They were slightly quivering. Weren’t they supposed to be alphas? That wasn’t an alpha behavior you were aware of, but it wasn’t off putting in the least. “I’m sorry that I ‘ticked’ you. You just smell really good. Your neck is so warm and cozy.” The apparent sadness ate at you and you knew right from that moment if he apologized like this for anything he did you’d never stay mad at him. You also caught his misspeak and cleared it up first.

“You tickled me, not ‘ticked’ me! You can do it again. Only if you want to. I liked it.” You were okay with his cuddliness. You liked being affectionate with Hobi and you hoped your hybrid would be as affectionate with you, as well. Why not make him comfortable if he was planning on choosing you.

He seemed to like your answer choosing to simply resume sniffing at your neck instead of answering you. This time he wrapped his arm around you, both hands resting on your upper back. “I’m Jimin. You can change my name if you really want to, I don’t mind. As long as you’ll take me home.” He said this directly into your ear. And you smiled at his admission.

“I would love for you to come home with me.” He squeezed you a little tighter and you brought your arms up his chest to loop around his shoulders. “I’m Y/n!” He sighed a little at hearing your name before saying it, as if testing it on his lips.

“I want to go home with Y/n.” He said this louder since he was telling one of the doctors in the room. You were happy at the fact that he’d chosen you.

“Y/n. Please leave through the second door with Jimin.” Jimin let go of you and started to walk side by side with you. Jimin. He had a name and it was cute and so was he. Plush and soft all over, even his voice was soft. You were happy with how the day was turning out. He kept looking at you from the side and you were sure he wanted some kind of contact with you. You held out your hand to him and he took it gently not stealing glances anymore now that he had satisfied the contact with you that.

↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬↫↬

You were seated in the same office from earlier. This time you felt lighter and more at ease. Jimin was separated from you temporarily to pack up whatever possessions he had. And you were here to receive a briefing before you went home. You were enjoying this day way more than you’d anticipated.

Ravi was across from you shuffling through some folders. He must have found what he was looking for because he pulled it to the top and opened it out in front of you. He started reiterating what he’d told you earlier. Then he handed you a few papers to sign off on. And it seemed you were all done. And a thought popped into your mind from earlier.

“You said the boys were alphas, but Jimin didn’t seem very alpha-like. Is there anything I should know?” Ravi nodded at you.

“I knew something slipped my mind! In sugar glider colonies they have alpha males, but the female they bond with is the true alpha of the pack. So he defers to you, since he choose you. He actually has the sweetest temperament of the boys, a bit docile and shy. But when he finally opens up to you, you’ll be attached to him at the hip. Socialize him early. Have him meet those in your circle around the time you notice that he starts to you initiate skin contact with you. That way he knows you two are bonded, and he’ll be willing to meet other and not feel like he’s being abandoned or mateless.”

“When you say mate - are you, like suggesting that, I have to have sex with…?” You were shocked at his choice of words. You knew that Somin and Hobi had chosen to consummate their relationship. Would you have to option to refuse Jimin?

“Ooooh! Noooo. No, no. Don’t worry! I’m still using sugar glider terms because that’s how he might refer to you. Consummation is your choice entirely. You should also know that he’s really smitten with you. He was asking which clothes he should take and which ones would you like. It was cute. Don’t worry, if you do have an issue with sexual aggression you should call us here.” He handed you a card that simply had two numbers on it and the first was labeled ‘general questions’. The number he was referring to was labeled ‘Emergency Situations’. “We made sure to use female scientists who were ovulating or on their menses around the boys and none of them made advances. However they weren’t really bonded, so that could be a factor.” You nodded at his honesty and held the card in hand decided to slid it in your purse before you lost it in pocket.

You felt safe for the moment. “He seems really sweet and gentle. Thank you Dr. Ravi! I really want this to work out and I’ll be more than happy to help in anyway you need me to.” You both stood and shook hands. It was going to be learning experience and hopefully resulted in you having a hybrid.

It was going to be an interesting night you were sure of it.


	2. Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos or a comment! Thank you for reading! I appreciate it!

Dr. Ravi had given you a folder with tips, tricks, and other facts that you’d need to know about hybrids in general and even sugar glider specific information. You figured you’d do some reading tonight before bed. It didn’t seem like much inside and he assured you someone would always be able to answer any question on either phone line, if you’d thought of something that needed to be answered. Taking Jimin home was feeling surreal. It really made you wonder what karmic debt you’d payed off in order to receive this cutie.

As you waited for Jimin outside of the office, your mind wandered off to what home life would be. You were excited to make your own traditions and to have your days filled with a companion. When you heard footsteps coming from down the hall, you looked up to meet Jimin’s eyes locked on you. Jimin had changed into a pair of jeans and comfy t-shirt. He started to smile at you and you returned it as he made his way down the hallway. He seemed eager to catch up with you, walking ahead of the worker that was escorting him. She smiled at you as well and walked a little quicker to match his pace and meet up with you.  
“See Jimin! I told you she was going to wait for you. Jungkook stayed behind because his new owner is working just down the hall.” She explained to the hybrid. Then she looked at you. “Hi, I’m Dr. Lizzy. Jimin here thought you’d leave before he finished packing. He got especially worried when he saw that Jungkook, who also got adopted today, was still here.” She looked at him assessing his reaction to her explanation, but he seemed to only pay attention to you. 

He was fidgeting a little where he stood. You could tell he was still unsure of what was going to happen. You looked him in the eyes and tried to reassure him. “I’d never intentionally leave you. Especially since you choose me.” You punctuated this statement with a smile, one he quickly reciprocated. 

He then looked over at the doctor, finally addressing her. “I-I knew she liked me… I just wasn’t sure if I’d go home with her today. I wanted to be sure.” Then he blushed as you made eye contact and it was so endearing you were practically having a cuteness overload. He looked down again and started to fiddle with his hands.

Jimin was once again hesitant towards initiating anything with you. For him being taller than you, it was such an endearing trait of his to look down at you with a question in his eyes. You knew he wanted to be close again, you were sure of it. You wondered if you should make him sweat a little bit, hoping he’d be interested enough to start any skinship he’d wanted to have with you. 

You’d exchanged farewells with the doctor and she was already off to her next task. 

So you smiled a sweet smile laced with mischief. “Jimin? Are you ready to go home?” You asked him in a soft voice and you saw his sugar glider ears atop his head twitch cutely as they picked up what you’d said. Then he nodded a quick yes. “Then let’s go.” Your hand went out to signal ‘let’s go’ and you turned to head out of the main entrance. He mistook it for you reaching out to hold his hand. You were already walking and unbeknownst to you, he was following behind you, but not very closely. You heard a slight whimper and looked back at him.

You realized you made a mistake by trying to push him further than he was ready to be pushed. He mistook your gesture for an invitation to be close. And then when you walked on it must have hurt him especially since he wasn’t sure of what was actually going to happen today. You had to remembered this was his first meeting with you and he wasn’t bonded or even truly fond of you yet. All you knew was that he liked your scent.

Maybe you were a little more used to Hobi’s sunny disposition and extroverted personality. You could toy with Hobi like this and he’d bounce back unphased by you. However, Jimin seemed too sensitive for even the slightest of teasing. Maybe it was simply because he didn’t know you yet?

Feeling bad about toying with Jimin caused you to stop in your tracks as you held out your hand behind you, and Jimin picked up his speed to link hands with you. His furrowed brows relaxed slightly and you realized this must be very stressful for him. You walked out of the front doors making your way to your car. 

Thinking back to the pairing room and realizing that there was still 2 hybrids that hadn’t been adopted yet. They seemed to be over people waltzing through looking for a match. Jimin must have endured lots of other possible pairings like this. And then there was the fact that no one got to choose the hybrid they wanted, it was the other way around. You could have just been the best smelling person to Jimin, not necessarily his bonded ‘mate’. You felt a little depressed at this thought, not feeling as special as you had earlier. You got to your car and pushed the button on your remote to open the trunk. 

You told Jimin his bag could go here and he placed it down gently and then you lowered the trunk door. You walked around to the passenger side with Jimin still holding on to your hand. You opened the door for him, not sure if he’d ever ridden in a car. 

Just then you felt his grip on your hand tighten and he was standing slightly to the side of you practically holding your arm to his chest. You barely heard his soft voice. “Are you sad that I chose you?” You stopped what you were doing and turned to make eye contact with Jimin. “You know how I’m feeling?” He nodded in confirmation and he hesitated before he continued on. “You smell sad, and a little bit like you’re reminiscing. Are you wishing that Jackson had chosen you? I saw that you looked at him first.” You were taken aback, feeling a little violated. Jimin’s nose was sniffing in your direction and he must have picked this up too. “Would you like to return me now? This was the closest to getting a mate I’ve ever been. Taehyung told me no one wants to adopt a hybrid that does weird things. None of my litter mates can sense emotions like me.” His explanation was a little emotional, making you want to try your best to tried to exude sympathy. 

You gripped his hand back as tightly as he was holding on to yours and his eyes connected with your eyes. “You chose me Jimin. You must have liked something and I’m honored. I’m sad that I wasn’t being sensitive enough towards your needs earlier and I was wondering how good of an owner I’ll actually be for you. That might have been the regret you picked up.” He looked at you and the smallest smile tugged at his lips before disappearing. Yet again, he seemed hesitant. But you could see that he wanted to say something else. “You might not like this very much cause no one else did, but I can smell that you’re being honest.” 

You were sure if it were possible your eyes would have popped out of your skull right then. He could smell your honesty? You were in awe of your tall, little fluffy who was also a lie detector. You let go of his hand and he whimpered at the loss of contact. It pulled at your heart a little and you felt bad although you only wanted to pull him in for a hug. You walked forward to close the distance between the two of you and gently place your hands on his shoulders, sliding them around his neck as you pulled him close to you. He acquiesced when he realized you were only trying to hug him and then his arms snaked around your back and he squeezed tightly. You rubbed his back with one hand and carded you fingers through his hair with the other. Staying away from his ears and not wanting to push him farther than you already had you simply enjoyed the embrace and let your feelings of happiness flow. 

However, you were feeling a little peckish and pulled back from the embrace. Jimin relented too, but you were sure he wanted to stay right where he was. You brought your hands to cup his face and brought his forehead down as you rose on your tiptoes to place a gentle kiss on his forehead and then one more on his nose because you just couldn’t resist. He smiled at the affection and his cheeks turned the palest of pinks. You’d be kissing him more often to see him blush like that. 

He let you seat him in the passengers side and show him how to work the seatbelt. You walked over to the drivers side passing by the front of the car so Jimin could see you and not feel alone even for a second. 

*

The drive home was pretty quiet. Jimin was thoroughly fascinated with everything that passed by his window and he asked only a few questions in a quiet voice. You were happy to answer them. He seemed fine on the car ride home, drinking in everything that there was to see. You reached over a few times to squeeze his knee or to link hands and he thoroughly enjoyed it. As you neared your house and turned on to your block Jimin must have sensed that you felt like you were at home because he announced it before you pulled into the driveway. 

“We’re finally home!” He looked at you and returned your smile when he gave you the good news. You both exited the car and you noticed he walked a bit faster to meet up with you at the trunk. You opened it and he grabbed his bag. He was beaming and it seemed to be the first time that he wasn’t solely focused on you. Your front yard was nicely manicured with a stepstone walkway leading to the front door. You grabbed his hand and lead him to the front door and unlocked it. 

He entered his new home mimicking your behavior as he was unsure of what to do. He followed suit as you took off your shoes in the entryway and when you dropped your keys in your catchall bowl and hung your purse on your rack he followed suit with his duffle bag. It was cute and made him feel a little more at peace you supposed. You also couldn’t help but notice he was mesmerized and couldn’t stop looking around. His eyes were darting back and forth between every possible thing there was to see. Maybe he was so used to the sterile black and white environment of the lab that your house felt like an explosion of color and personality for him. 

You placed your hand on his shoulder to get his attention. “Jimin, you can look around and make yourself at home or I can show you the house? Either way is fine with me.” He hadn’t stopped looking around even though you addressed him and the only thing that alerted you to knowing he heard you was that his ears had twitched in response to your voice. The furrow of his brow suggested that he was contemplating between the two options. This was a difficult decision for him it seemed. He wanted to see the house of his own accord and yet he wanted you with him. You realized you the options might have seemed as though he had to choose. To make it easier on him you reached for his hand and told him to lead the way.

His furrowed brow relaxed as he led you into the living room. The couch was plush and cozy and it seemed to call out to you. He ran his free hand over the fabric and as he walked further into the room looking at everything displayed and your large mural of an ocean floor seemed to catch his eye for a few quiet moments. 

He continued into the kitchen and admired the room. The refrigerator seemed to call out to him as he went to investigate it. You helped him out by opening it and showing him that it kept food. He was enthralled, sharing that he was only ever brought food, not knowing that it could be kept. He got bored of the fridge quickly, his attention pulled to the appliances that were neatly displayed on your counters. As he finished looking them over, his line of sigh moved to the french doors that overlooked your pride and joy. He was enthralled by the warm and inviting picture of going outside. 

He looked down at you as if asking permission and you showed him how to unlock the door. You let him try it and he did so with ease. This time you grabbed his hand and led him outside, not wanting any repeats of earlier moments of uncertainty on his part. 

Jimin was enraptured by your garden and you let his hand go. “Why don't you go and smell the flowers? Explore a little bit. I’m going to be right behind you.” He hesitated, but his curiosity won this time, walking to the edge of the flowerbed and bending over to sniff at the wildflowers. After following behind him for a little, you were a bit warm. You wanted to cool off under some shade. 

“Jimin!” You whispered, knowing he’d hear you. He looked back as you pointed to the swing. He nodded and you made your way to the wooden swing, taking a seat in the shade and watching him enjoy the beauty you created. 

After a few minutes, he walked to the swing taking a seat. You were seated at the far end of the double seater swing and Jimin was at the other end. You were wondering if he was just testing your patience. He must have sensed the slight annoyance radiating off of you, because he you saw his shoulders slump inwards. Sighing more at yourself than him, you would just have to learn to keep your emotions in check. “Jimin. If you want to be near me, I don’t mind. You don’t have to sit so far away.” He finally made eye contact, unsure of what he would see reflecting in your eyes. He saw a small smile on your face and he mustered the first round of courage to scoot over a little bit. You smiled at his attempt. So you scooted over too, making sure to not touch him. And then he closed the distance stopping when your thighs touched. You noticed he really liked skinship, wondered if that would be in the file, or if it was just a Jimin thing. 

With a slight breeze and the swing set lazily moving in a steady pace you felt that wonderful hazy feeling from being outside. Jimin must have felt it too. He was leaning on you and he looked as if he was ready for a nap.

Closing your eyes, you felt like you could drift off. And you felt bold enough to ask a question that had been on your mind. “Why did you choose me today? You told me you liked how I smelled, but I think there’s more to it.” 

You were hoping he’d give you some insight of his life at the clinic. “I wasn’t let outside often. But it was really fun when I did go. I really liked the flowers because they smelled so good. I’d pick them and this one doctor, her name was , showed me how to make a flower crown when I was little. I really liked her, but I think something happened and I didn’t see her after a little while. She told me I deserved to be treated better. And the other doctors didn’t like it. So after she left I always made them to remind me of her. But I stopped after I met the rest of my litter. They made fun of me for it, calling me a girl because I could sense emotions. They made fun of my soft voice and that I was quiet. They told me no one would want a hybrid like me, they wanted a happy and entertaining hybrid to keep them company. It hurt cause they told us that we needed to get adopted, that we were failures if we couldn’t be appealing to someone, and some of the doctors didn’t like that I could tell when they were lying to us and told me the same things.” He exhaled shakily, pouring out his past. 

You leaned over to rest your head on his shoulder and wrapped both of your arms around his arm and held on to him. You didn’t know what to say to make him feel better. You also felt bad as you had sparked this conversation. 

He sighed and leaned his head a top yours, inhaling deeply and continuing his story. “It stopped one day though. They didn’t use that against us anymore. Something must have happened. But I did have a friend, Seulgi, we met a few years ago. Since a few of her litter mates had died they introduced our litters. She was nice to me. Told the others to leave me alone and stood up for me. We did everything together. I think she might have liked me as a mate and I started to think of her as my mate. She was fierce and assertive and I’m so quiet and soft spoken that we made a good match. And she cared for me so much. almost as much as I cared for her.” Jimin inhaled and the top of your head started to feel a little damp. His breathing speed up a little and you were still at a loss of what to do, you just held on to him rubbing small circles on his hand to comfort him. 

“But she didn’t make it. Didn’t have enough human in her I guess and one day I went to the learning room and she never showed up. The ones that died in the clinic before were ready to be adopted, they don’t have enough human DNA. Something happens on the inside and their body refuses the hybrid genes.” You smiled at his simple explanation, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder and then nuzzling him again. You hoped his story got happier somewhere along the way. 

After a deep breath he continued, “I felt really sad afterwards. It’s been a little while, but the hole she left in my life was so huge. Everything reminded me of her. Except for today because when I smelled you, I smelled flowers again. I remembered how I loved the smell of the flowers when I was little and I couldn’t help but smell you. After I sniffed at you, for the first time in a long time all the pain went away. I just remembered the flowers and my crowns and my time daydreaming in the sun. Seulgi took good care of me. And I felt that maybe you could do the same.” Jimin exhaled deeply, a physical sign that he had gotten a lot off of his chest. You sniffled, affected by the story and wondering what you could ever do to make him feel better again. You had no clue, so you nuzzled into his neck and placed a soft kiss against it. Then another as you held him tightly. 

You couldn’t let him go. Not after what he shared with you. He had felt true comfort with you for the first time in a long time. It meant so much to you that it pained you to think about the what-if’s. So pushed them out of you mind and enjoyed Jimin’s warmth as you really began to embrace him wanting to make him a permanent part of your life. 

*

The sun was low in the sky and it had passed lunch time by a few hours, closer to dinner time. Your stomach growled at your realization of skipping lunch and Jimin slowly leaned off of you. You held his hand and pulled him off the swing and with you, heading towards the back door and back into the house. Your neck was a little stiff and so was you back from staying in the same position for a few hours. The slight discomfort was worth it. You felt much closer to Jimin after his somber answer. 

You sat Jimin at your dining table and made your way to the fridge. There was some ground turkey that you could thaw quickly to make a meat sauce with. “Do you like pasta?” You asked, as you made your way to the sink with the package. His hesitancy to answer spoke more and his answer. “I had it a few times. It’s um.. it’s okay.” You knew he probably had those gross sterile tv-ish dinners from the labs and you knew immediately that your pasta would be a hundred times better. You smiled over your shoulder at him, “My pasta will be amazing.” You said it with such confidence, Jimin smiled back as he smelled it waft off of you, hoping that it would be as delicious as you claimed it would be. 

*

Jimin was in shock. He didn’t know pasta could be so delicious. He watched you make it, fascinated with the intricacies that went into this dish. He was sure the scientists and lab tech skipped many of these steps. The food in his mouth was really tasty. 

You giggled as his face was a clear giveaway to how much he was enjoying dinner. He slurped and ate and you watched, happy that you made him feel good. He must have sensed the happiness rolling off of you in waves because in the middle of shoveling more noodle in his mouth, he made eye contact and gave you the sweetest smile he could muster. It made you blush and return to your food. 

20 minutes later and you were taking your plates to the sink. Jimin was enjoying seconds and you were hoping that he ate his fill and that his gorgeous cheeks would round out a little bit so you could pinch them. He was already so cute. You finished washing your cutlery and plates along with the pans you’d used to make such a delicious dinner, placing them on the rack to dry. As you turned around you were greeted by Jimin bringing in his used items. You smiled at him and tried to take it out of his hands. 

He refused you, “I think I can clean them, if you show me how.” You smiled and explained how much soap to use and the semantics of dish washing. There wasn’t much room to be bad at washing and he did well. You showed him how to clean the sink and sponge after he washed something and to wipe the counters with the disposable wipes you had. He was taking it all in. Listening and hanging off of your every word. “Y/n, so is this my job?” His ears were wiggling slightly and he seemed a little nervous. 

You were unsure of what he was referring to, so you decided to dig a little deeper and figure out what was going on. “Well, we could make it your job, if you want one?” You’d take it slow, give him some room to breathe. 

“Taehyung said that you probably wanted me to help with chores. Since I’m not really good at anything else.” There is was again. His litter mates really had it out for him. Instilling doubt in him and making him feel bad about himself. They must have been jealous of him for some reason causing his self worth to drop. “Well, I honestly thought you’d be better at other things. That’s why I wanted a hybrid.” Jimin visibly gulped and stiffened, making you realize the unintentional innuendo you made. You blushed slightly as you tried to correct yourself. “Like keeping me company, and helping to fill my day with someone to care for and such.” He relaxed slightly and you decided to grab his hand and lead him to the living room, not ready to make eye contact with him. “Well, I don’t really do anything interesting.” You looked his way and quirked an eyebrow at him as you sat on the plush sofa patting the free space next to you. “I happen to think you are very interesting. Did you think I brought you here do work around the house?” 

He was seated next to you and looking straight ahead. His ears had a pronounced droop in them and his body language spoke volumes. “Jimin, is there anything I can do to show you that I want you as a companion, that I really do like you?” He turned your way and he smiled a little but it didn’t reach his eyes. 

You reached for the remote to switch on the tv and then moved to lay on the couch. You stretched and felt comfortable, tummy filled with good food and now you needed to relax, opting to lay on your back. You reached for Jimin’s hand and he placed his hand gingerly in yours. You pulled lightly and he obliged by laying down. He was molding himself to the back of the chair as you scooted slightly forward to give him some room. It was a little awkward, but you would make it work. He was holding himself up with the arm beneath him, either being respect or sacred and not touching unless it couldn’t be helped. 

“I want to cuddle. Pweese!” You tried to be cute and Jimin laughed at your horrible attempt. “You can rest your head on my stomach, it’s fine.” He seemed hesitant so you helped him get into position. “I’ve never cuddled with anyone before. I feel weird.” His admission was a surprise to you. He seemed to enjoy holding hands and receiving your attention throughout the day. Now he felt weird. That was strange. “We don’t have to cuddle. I just want you to feel comfortable.” He sat up straight away and there was now no contact between the two of you. 

You turned on your side and pulled you knees up so that there was definitely no chance of contact. Jimin must have noticed the disappointment and feelings of rejection you were feeling, but he refused to acknowledge you. He sat pretending to be enraptured by the tv when you were catching him turning your way every so often through your peripherals. You were now uncomfortable and you hadn’t even thought of the fact that your hybrid might have been made uncomfortable by you.

*

An hour had passed as you lazily watched the show. Somewhere along the way Jimin stopped looking at you and accepted his spot on the couch. You sat up and stretched, feeling in your bones that it was past your usual bedtime. You could sleep in tomorrow and it’d be fine. You only had some write ups and they weren’t expected until 4pm. “I think it’s bedtime.” You looked at the hybrid who finally looked your way. The previous feelings you had felt so strongly had all wafted away and you were simply looking at him and waiting for his reply. 

Since you received none, you got up. Your standing and completing a second round of stretches had Jimin looking away. He stood up and followed you to the hallway after you switched off the tv and flipped the lights off. The dark always scared Jimin a little bit and he followed closely behind you. He had wanted to reach out and hold you to feel more secure but he felt that it would have been wrong. You were so upset and dejected earlier that he was sure he was going back to the lab tomorrow. 

You led him to a room, switched on the lights and after taking a look around he realized this was your room. It smelled strongly of you. And there was a huge, unmade bed and lots of pictures and other items to give away that the room was used often. 

He got a little nervous. He knew that people could have sex with hybrids and that it wasn’t wrong. But he didn’t feel that from you. He was still getting to know you and who knew what you’d do to him. He looked and found you on your knees, rummaging through a drawer. You pulled out some forest green sweatpants and large t-shirt. You stood and handed them to Jimin. “I’m not sure if you have sleep clothes, but either way you can wear these to bed. I’ll take you to your room.” He relaxed as he realized you wouldn’t be sharing a bed. He was glad for it. 

You led him a few steps down down from your room and on the opposite side of the hall was what he guessed was going to be his. The room you led him to was actually not a bedroom. It was an office. Jimin has seen many of these. He was curious as to where you’d make him sleep, on the floor perhaps, since he’s refused you earlier. His question was answered when you walked over to a sofa and removed the cushions and started to pull out the bed. You layer the cushions to the side and left the room momentarily, returning with a few blankets in your hands. As you made the bed, Jimin helped you as best as he could. You left again to grab some pillows from your bed and brought them back here and then exited once more as returning with a quilt and two really cozy looking blankets, placing them on the bed. You faced Jimin and he seemed oddly sad. You were unsure if he was unhappy at the prospect of not having an actual room, but you didn’t have real time to prepare for him. 

Tomorrow would result in you guys shopping for necessities to make him feel at home. You were sure he’d feel better then. “It’s a little cool and I don’t know if you get cold at night or not, but there’s extra blankets. I’ll let you change for bed and I’m just a few steps away if you need me.” You took this as a good time to make your way to your bed. You were tired and mentally exhausted from trying so hard to please and get to know Jimin. You hoped it would get easier as the days went by. 

*

Jimin changed into his own night clothes, opting to lay the clothes you gave him next to his pillow, which was really your pillow. He got into bed and wrapped himself in a cocoon of blankets as he felt that the night would only get colder. You made him feel good about himself and he felt so bad rejecting you but he couldn’t gather the strength to tell you that he had gotten hard when you laid down in front of him. As if you were ready for him to claim you. 

And then he got nervous in your room wondering if you’d try to claim him. He was very confused but definitely attracted to you. He knew there were things he should want, like sex and companionship, they were natural. He also know that human women had expectations and his littermates had told him early on that he wasn’t what anyone had wanted. They made fun of his body and him and he knew they played a big role in his self doubt. They even told him that Seulgi had died because she didn’t want him anymore. He felt the hot tear roll down his face and he decided to stop thinking and to let sleep overtake him. 

He felt like he should feel closer to you. He let you know things he’s never told anyone else. But he was also scared of losing you as he seemed to lose those he loved. Jimin let himself fall asleep and he slept peacefully for the first time in a long time. He was surrounded by the most comforting of scents and he was warm and felt cared for. He hadn’t felt this good in years and the last thing he wanted was to lose it but it seemed out of his control.


	3. Closer...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the chapter please leave me some love! I’d appreciate it!

As the morning sun filtered in through the blinds you found yourself eager to start your day.   
It was your first full day with Jimin and you were so excited to have another chance to win him over. 

Glancing at your bedside clock, it was much earlier than you had anticipated waking up. Stretching and moaning was a necessity to start the day. You slowly slid towards the edge of your bed and made it to your dresser. Grabbing your phone from where you left it the previous night, you pushed the home button to bring the screen to life. Two missed calls from Somin prompted you to return her call and to fill her in what was going on. As the phone rang and the dial tone sounded, you walked over to Jimin’s room to check in on him. 

You peeked in to see that he was still asleep and his hair was so fluffy, presumably from his tossing and turning. He whined in his sleep and the sound tugged at your heart. You couldn’t help it anymore, you went over and sat next to him. Somin hadn’t answered the call so she probably wasn’t awake yet. Which gave you all the more reason to slide onto the mattress next to Jimin. 

Laying on your side, you studied him. He was so peaceful and still, raising slightly as he took in a shallow breath, then slowly exhaling to return to his former position. Although you’d wanted to reach out and trace your fingertips along the contours, dips, and rises of his face, you refrained, only allowing yourself you admire him from up close. You closed your eyes enjoying being in bed again and the quietness of the early morning lulled you give into basking in the feeling of drifting off. You felt so good, vaguely aware that you were letting go of your consciousness.

You were jarred awake by your phone vibrating wildly. After a little searching, you saw it was Somin returning your earlier call. You swiped the green phone and made your way to your bedroom, not even realizing that Jimin was also awoken by the erratic feeling of your phone’s vibrations. 

*

His needy whine of being left alone went seemingly unheard. He was a little shocked since you were usually so receptive to him. However he sensed no malice or any form of intentional disregard from you, so he was ready to begin his day. At the lab that consisted of him making up his bed, personal grooming and to changing onto daily wear. He really needed to shower and relieve himself, but he wasn’t sure where exactly the showers were in this house. That was something you hadn’t shown him. Or was he even allowed to use the facilities? Jimin was lost in his thoughts. He soon rationalized that you had been nothing but nice to him and you would let him know what he was suppose to do. Now that It was set, after he made his bed he would go find you and figure out what he was required to do. 

*

There was some groaning and moaning from the other line as Somin was also waking up and greeting you. You walked past your purse and realized that you hadn’t even read through Jimin’s files. You could do that now. Grabbing them you got comfy in your plush comforter and opened the files. Deciding that it would be hard to read and have a voice at your ear, you switched the call to Facetime. Somin answered and you were greeted with her brushing her teeth while she had a face mask on, still the epitome of gorgeous. 

“So ... I got to adopt a hybrid yesterday.” You started off with causing her to almost choke, promptly spitting and rinsing her mouth out as her face mask fell off. You giggled as you hardly ever get the please of seeing her so thoroughly flustered. “Are you okay?” 

She glares at you for a moment before addressing the news that you had been withholding. “And you’re just now telling me? I can’t believe you. Why do I consider you my best friend?” She was being just as dramatic as Hobi was known for being at times. You were positive he learned his theatrical ways from her. You tried to explain yourself as she continued wit her getting ready for the day routine. “Mini~! Don’t be like that! It was a crazy day yesterday. I’m your friend Ravi told you something about it. But I got a boy! And his name is Jimin and he’s so cute!” You were glad you could gush about Jimin to someone and you were sure Somin understood how you felt. She went through a phase where she could only talk about Hobi. She hadn’t responded yet and you sure she was just pretending to not care. You were positive she was waiting for you to invite her over. “I’d like you to meet him, but only if you want to, cause you seem really mad right now.” She looked at the camera making eye contact with you briefly before going back to putting on makeup. It seemed she was getting ready to go somewhere, possibly to work. 

She owned a strip mall and took regular visits to inspect and make sure the place was up to code. Hobi went with her and usually went to dance at a studio that specializes in caring for hybrids. He was actually a really good dancer and Somin took him to the studio 4 times a week to really learn and perfect his craft. He was passionate about dance was a top student, getting a solo every showcase. 

Somin couldn’t hold herself back anymore. “I can’t ignore you. Yes, I want to meet him! I’ll be working until about 1, and then I’m free. And by the way, Ravi said nothing to me at all.” She looked a little forlorn, but you were sure it was just since she was the last to know. Making your way to your en suite bathroom, you placed your phone one the counter to relieve yourself. “So tell me something about him. Is he even awake yet? I want to see him! Hobi will freak when he finds out. He will be so glad that you’ve got a boy!” You giggled to yourself, as you made your way to your sink, recalling Hobi’s earlier encounter when he explained why he wanted a boy hybrid. 

“First off, Jimin is literally the cutest being I have ever seen. He’s a sugar glider hybrid and he-” Somin interjected, voice laced with surprise. “Sugar glider? I thought they weren’t going to make them. Too many issues with the cross breeding or something.” 

“Jimin told me something about it. I’m guessing since they are usually so small it’s such a hard combo to make, I don’t really know.” Not giving it much thought, you grabbed your toothbrush and toothpaste anxious to start your day. “He also makes the cutest of sounds and gives the best hugs. I adore him. I was a little annoyed yesterday though, because he seems a little wary of me. Especially since I haven’t really done anything to make him feel that way. But I know he’s just getting to know me, so it’s expected, but still.” You started brushing your teeth, hoping for Jimin to wake up soon. You weren’t sure of how much sleep he actually needed and you wanted to do a lot today. 

You watched your phone screen as you brushed, seeing Somin apply lipstick, explaining why she hadn’t responded yet. She turned as she made a final swipe to face the camera again when she was sure her lipstick was perfect. “Babe, come on, he doesn’t know you. Remember when I first got Hobi and he used to try and run away, like all the time! It wasn’t until after the 1st months that he could sleep all the way through the night. But he was like 12 at the time and most teens try to run away. Even I had wanted to run away at one time! Wait how old is Jimin?” 

You rinsed your mouth and proceeded to head back to your bed. “ I actually don’t know. Maybe his late teens or twenties? He’s on the younger side for sure.” You grabbed the folder and started to flip through it looking for any Jimin related information.

“How do you not know? It’s extremely important!” You could hear the exasperation in her voice. You heard her heels clacking as she presumably made her way through her house. “I found it! So it says here that Jimin is 20. I’ve got a younger man on my hands! And he’s got a birthday coming up soon!” However, your statement went unacknowledged as you assumed that she was ready to leave for work. The Facetime was still connected, but you were now looking at the side of her thigh, dressed in thigh hugging red dress pants.

She called to Hobi. “Hobi, did you finish your breakfast?” “Not yet~!” He had a slight whine in his voice. He loved to savor anything he ate, which was supposed to be extremely uncharacteristic for a dog hybrid. “Well, we have to leave now. Can you bring it in the car?” You heard a chair squeak as you assumed Hobi was getting up. “Yeah.” Somin’s heels were clacking against the floor again. “What about your snacks? Do you have them packed yet? Remember I told you I was taking you to the dance studio today? I’ve got to stop by the office and then a few more places. Lots of paperwork and errands to complete.” “Yes, Mini. I packed it last night. I left it at the front door so I wouldn’t forget it.” You were sure Hobi was beaming right now. He lived to please Somin. “And this is why you’re my good boy!” You heard his happy whining which meant Somin must have been giving his ears a good scratch. 

A noise coming from the hall made you look up. You saw Jimin standing at the doorway. Just seeing his rounded, sleepy face pulled a smile from deep inside you. You motioned for him to come in the room and then patted the spot next to you. “Good Morning! How was last night? Did you sleep well?” Jimin walked in slowly and his eyes were giving off a weird vibe. He hadn’t acted like this even when he was distancing himself from you. “Uh, I- I, need to go to the bathroom. . . Please!” Your eyes bulged open at his admission recalling that the bathrooms hadn’t been included in your tour. He probably hadn’t gone since yesterday. You felt so foolish. You hastily pointed to your en suite and he moved quickly, proving to you that he was in dire need. 

You focused back on the Facetime seeing that Somin had you on her phone mount and her head was turned, as she was checking behind her to pull out of her driveway. “Mini, Jimin woke up. So when he gets out of the bathroom, I’m going to introduce you to him.” You saw confusion settle into Hobi’s face, as he turned his head to the side. You knew that he was trying to recall if he know of or remembered you mentioning someone named Jimin. “Y/n, who’s Jimin? Did you get a new boyfriend?” His look of utter confusion made you smile for what felt like the hundredth time since this morning. 

You heard the toilet flush, and then he came into view as he washed his hands. “You remember what happened yesterday Hobi?” Hoseok seemed to really consider what had gone on the previous day. Jimin had shut the water off and had dried his hands on the decorative towel you had near the sink. As he turned around, you tapped the empty space next to you so he could be close for the Facetime. As he made his way over, you this time no awkwardness. He climbed on to the bed and got under the covers, scooting as close to you as could without touching you. He was curious of what was going on, leaning over to be able to see without being visible on the screen. 

“Well, I had breakfast. Waffles! Somin said I could add peanut butter to them so I did, and they were delicious. Then she told me we had to visit you. So we got in the car. And then she told me what we were- YOU GOT A HYBRID?” He seemed to have finally put everything together as you turned your screen to the side to show Jimin for the first time. He was thoroughly intrigued by what was on the screen and how could he not be, there was a flailing Hobi and an amused looking Somin trying to drive, who took it upon herself to start the introductions. “Hello Jimin! I’m Somin, Y/n’s bestest friend in the whole world. I’m so glad that I can finally meet you. And that is an excited Hoseok. He has always wanted Y/n to get a hybrid so he could have another friend. Don’t let him scare you!” Jimin was smiling, surprised that there were other people who were so excited to meet him. The rest of his litter would be so shocked, but he didn’t really dwell on that thought too long. He never knew that it would have taken three people to make him feel more wanted than he had felt in years. 

*

The phone call was fun and you were glad to have introduced Jimin to you closest friends. Hoseok had invited Jimin to his dance classes after Jimin felt comfortable enough without you staying because he was really scared the first time he went, but he would have Hoseok to help him feel at ease. Jimin seemed very open to the idea of dancing and you were glad Hobi had invited him and made him feel welcome. Somin had also told Jimin if it was ever needed, you would stay with her and Hobi and vice-versa, as traveling for work purposes didn’t exactly condone a hybrid to be present and that he would be so grateful that he was able to play with Hobi and not be bored in a hotel room all alone. 

Jimin was laying down and you could tell he was trying to process everything he had just experienced. You hoped nothing was particularly upsetting for him. You turned on your side to look at him as you spoke, “So how’d you like them? I hope they aren’t too much for you.” He faced you before giving you a warm smile. “They seem really nice. I’d like to meet them. You have really nice friends.” As you felt the relief lift off of you, you hadn’t ever realized you were awaiting his response.  
“I’m glad you like them, but I think it’s time for a shower and we should change. I wanted to get you somethings today. And I need groceries.” His eyes lit up at the prospect of getting to go out. He had never been to a store and the excitement radiated off of him and infected you. 

Getting up quickly, you helped him up and led him to your en suite. You lead him to a wall lined with cabinets for storage. Opening the first door, you gave him a run through of what to find. “So I keep the towels in this side cabinet. This is my bathroom and you can use the one in the hall, but I don’t have any shampoo and shower gel there since no one really sleeps over. I also keep the extra soaps and loofahs in here, and there’s some razors, but I don’t think you shave. Do you shave?” He shook his head no, once again enthralled in the directions you were giving him. He was way more attentive than Hoseok because he didn’t get distracted by anything, choosing to keep you the center of his attention. 

You really liked his attentiveness and took him by the hand as you walked over to the shower and explained how it worked. He’d told you it was similar to the shower set up at the lab and he could work them. You were a little hesitant to leave him, but you were sure he’d like to shower alone. “Well, I’m going to leave you to it, I guess you’ll want some privacy, right?” Jimin’s face flushed lightly and he agreed with your statement. You made your way out of the bathroom, closing the door behind you, and got back on your bed. Reaching for the folder, you decided this was the best time to do a little reading and catch up on what you needed to know about Jimin. 

*

40 minutes later, a slightly pink and exquisitely smelling hybrid stepped out of your bathroom. His towel was tucked loosely over his hips and your eyes devoured all that was on display. Defined abs, tight pecs and his sexy collarbones had you practically drooling. It had been a little while since you had been graced by the sight of such a sexy male, hybrid or not. You had to stop yourself and look away, recalling that Jimin could probably sense the lust and arousal that was billowing off of you. You refused to acknowledge him after this knowing that you’d already embarrassed yourself more than enough, simply thumbing through the file no longer able to read, just pretending to avoid eye contact. 

So when Jimin addressed you, your head shot up I’m surprised. “Uh. I- uh. I’m going to, uh, change my clothes now… then we’re going to leave?” He must have been affected by you, sensing how you felt. You told him yes and then you watched him leave noticing the slight text that wasn’t visible before through the towel. 

God, I’m so depraved. I need to hook up soon, or I’ll jump his bones. You groaned at yourself. Why were you like this? Only a cold shower could get you out of this mood. 

*

It felt like hours later, but you were both walking into your local chain department store. After looking through his file, you found that there wasn’t much to go on. Seemingly, you and everyone that had adopted a sugar glider hybrid yesterday would be supplying the first round of traits, notes and breed specific information. The only helpful bits were that sugar glider hybrids needed to be with their mates or pack daily, they craved and enjoyed constantly being in physical affection with their mate or packs, and that they stressed out easily, one of the biggest stressors was being separated from a mate or their pack. You would have to do your best to ensure that Jimin was always okay in his surroundings today and you would have to be extra attentive to him. A lone woman passed by and he didn’t glance at her or look her way. You were wondering if he was ignoring her or if he was simply overwhelmed at all of the variety of items being sold. 

Grabbing a shopping cart, you had Jimin stand as close to you as possible looping your arm with his as you both used you unconnected hands to push the cart. Glancing at him, you saw the pleasure shown on his face. He was enjoying the way you guys were intertwined, glad that you had come up with something so simple to please him. You pulled the cart into the body and bath section, hoping that he would be able use the bathroom in the hallway by tonight, cause you were not ready to be gifted with the sight of him half naked so soon. 

*

Feeling the arousal start to creep up, you tried your best to brush the thoughts away by telling Jimin to take his pick. He surprised you by unloosing your arms and grabbing your hand as he began to maneuver through the packages of bar soap and shower gels trying to find the scent that appealed the most to him. He settled on a green bottle that contained the almost medicinal smelling eucalyptus oil. You had him place it in the cart and you told him to move on to the next aisle to find a shampoo and conditioner. As he was again looking through and smelling everything, you ran your fingers through his hair enjoying the fluffiness and deciding for him that he needed a defrizzing product. He leaned into your hand a little bit before pulling forward and dragging you along with him. His hands shot out at a matching set. “I think these smell the best.” He held them to you and you noticed that the bottles also had eucalyptus in it, this time with peppermint to promote a healthy scalp. You were genuinely intrigued by his choice, not feeling offend by his chosen scent, but realizing that it had never really called out to you enough to have multiple products that smelled like it. “I guess you like the smell of eucalyptus? Ever smelled it before?” Jimin’s brows furrowed as he was seemingly lost in thought at your inquiry. 

Walking alongside you, gracefully you might add, he divulged, “I don’t think I can recall ever smelling it, but I knew I liked it. When I first picked up the scent over here something about it made me feel calm, like it almost feels like home.” You nodded as you replied, “I feel the same way when it comes to anything flowery, but gardenias and night jasmine are my absolute favorites. I feel at home when I smell them.” He smiled at you, and you wondered if he even knew what they smelled like. “Actually it doesn’t smell like home. Home smells you and flowers. It probably smells like calm and relaxing, like the feeling of a home.” You accepted his answer, not really knowing how to reply, but extremely touched that he even considered you and home to be on the same level, so you simply squeezed his hand in answer. He returned the squeeze and moved in closer to you, so that you arms rubbed against each other as you walked. You decided before you left, you would need to find some essential eucalyptus oil. If he felt that the scent was calming maybe it would be good for him to have it to help calm himself down. 

Making your way to the clothing aisles you wanted him to at least have some staples, deciding that he needed to go out with you for the next few days and you could always shop for nicer clothes later on. You knew he had never shopped for clothes and he was overwhelmed in the aisle, eyeing different styles of tops and every color he could imagine. “You’re allowed to pick whatever you like. I think you should also try them on too, I want you to have an idea of what they fit like.” He nodded as he broke eye contact with you and went to town enjoying the technicolor symphony before him. You left the cart at the end of the aisle and he pulled you up and down, as Jimin was eyeing any and everything in sight. 

He had a rather tasteful preference in clothing. Liking solid colored shirts with minimal designs and he even grabbed a pair of overalls. He had a few pairs of jeans, all different washes, giving you the impression you had a budding fashionista on your hands. You were also shocked by the number of black item s he chose, watching as he threw a black turtleneck in the cart as well. Scared that you would never even be able try on half of the clothes the filled cart, you addressed him. 

“Hey, cutie, can we actually try this stuff on first? You’ve got quite a bit already.” He beamed at you, nodded in agreement and matched your pace as you walked over to the cart. You both steered it to the dressing rooms you leading him and the lady at the counter began to eye you both wearily. 

You were positive the both of you were going to have a crazy time in the dressing room. The lady stepped forward and told you that only 12 items at a time were permitted for trying on in the dressing rooms. You nodded, turning to Jimin, “Well, go ahead and grab the first 12! We’ve got lots more to try on before we leave.” Jimin was seemingly level headed simply grabbing the first 12 items and handing them to the lady’s outstretched hand to count them. She led you both to the men’s side. “I don’t have any men trying on any clothes, so since he’s your hybrid I’ll have you both over here. But if a guy does come you’ll have to leave, okay?” She informed you, without even sparing you both a backwards glance. “Sure. Thanks.” She unlocked a larger stall that was adjacent to a large 3 sided mirror. Jimin seemed to enjoy the sight of that, turning to walk into the stall while golfing on to your hand. You stopped at the doorway, not letting him pull you in any further. “Are you sure you want me to be present while you change?” He stopped and turned to realizing what would happen if you had to watch him change. “Oh um, I’m sorry!

*

You were finally in the check out, having kept only the items Jimin had liked wearing, which was a surprisingly small number. You were just glad he had liked something to start his wardrobe. You would hate yourself if he was subjected to only wearing the same shirts and pants he brought with him from the lab. Your goal was to make his time here feel good, and if possible, create a bond with you.

You were slowly inching forward, little by little, when Jimin made the shrillest whine you’d ever heard escape his lips. You quickly turned to him wondering what exactly had happened, “Are you okay?” It seemed that this time you couldn’t break through to him and he began to incessantly whining. The handbook said that this was stressed behavior, but he had seemed fine only moments before, holding your hands and shooting you the most precious eye smiles. “Jimin? What’s wrong?” You were pleading with him, not registering the looks of putty and annoyance thrown your way, or even the tears that were slowly leaking from your eyes.

Jimin was, however, focused on something behind you. After a minute it became apparent to you and you turned to see something you didn’t have the foresight to anticipate. He seemed to be focused on a girl dressed casually, but chic. Her hair was pulled up and a hat adorned her head. While you had no idea who she was, she seemed to strike a chord with Jimin, a big enough chord to throw him into a stressful fit and cause a scene. 

She walked forward and Jimin’s hands left yours, practically shaking it away, as she walked over to him. The shock was written all over your face as he embraced her in a tight hug that she reciprocated. You didn’t really like this, not knowing who she was or her connection to him.

“Seulgi, what happened?” You heard Jimin sob, as a shocked expression once again etched it’s telltale mark upon your face, as the realization of who exactly this girl was. “Why did you leave me all alone? I thought you were...” He choked up, unable to say that one word, as if it would have made a difference. 

“Don’t ever leave me again.” The firm tone he used was a surprise. He was always so soft spoken and barely talked at a decent decibel. And now he was being firm. That was a shock to you. Not just the way he spoke to her but the whole chance encounter with someone who was supposed to be gone. 

You wiped the tears off of your face as you came to and realized that you were holding up the line. You had no idea what to do and you felt powerless. This wasn’t something you were sure you could deal with.


	4. A Walk in the Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Send me some love!

Merely 30 minutes after completing your purchases, you found yourself glued to a park bench feeling the worst you’d felt in months. If only you’d realized that some thing were too good to be true. Gosh, it was just your luck to get a hybrid for free and on the first day of owning him something crazy happened. This was just unbelievable because when he mentioned that his closest friend had died, you’d felt bad, knowing that losing someone was hard. 

Apparently, Seulgi hadn’t died though. According to her she had gotten adopted by a senior doctor at the lab due to too many of the sugar glider hybrids passing. They had been trying to make this breed of hybrids for years. They felt it would be a super seller in Australia. Too many complications had stumped them though and made the project seem like a setback. It was difficult to keep many of them alive. 

He’d needed to spend excessive time with her to see what her triggers were. He was finding out if there was any retained sugar glider qualities and how to keep them in check. Seulgi was an oddity though. She’d frequently gotten sick and then she’d get better. They brought her to Jimin’s labs to run tests. After a few months they’d figured the issue and she was cured. This resulted in all the glider hybrids getting a series of shots. They seemingly had been faring well enough to be on a trial adoption to identify more breed specific attributes. That’s how she’d ended up with her current owner. 

Not that she was really talking to you. She had been filling Jimin in since she had seen him and they hadn’t let each other go for even a second, connected in some way physically. She was filling him in on the way over in the store, in your car, and even now in the park, where you had been demanded to take them, as they had needs to catch up with each other. You were astonished that Jimin hadn’t blushed or whimpered not once. He was behaving so differently, that you wouldn’t believe it had you not been witnessing it for yourself. 

Looking over in their direction upset you everytime you did it, but you seemed to enjoy the self torture you were putting yourself through. They had taken *your throw blanket from *your trunk and were currently getting all cozy with each other. Practically sitting in each others laps, talking about the most important bits of their lives thy the other had missed out on. Jimin had just offered for Seulgi to visit *your house, insisting that she’d love your flower garden. Who exactly did Jimin *think he was? This day was just incredible.

You felt the overwhelming need to throw up. You had a sick feeling radiating from your body and you were glad you hadn’t eaten, or it would surely be in front of you now. Jealousy and envy were battling for the top emotion you were feeling, closely followed by self pity and self loathing in a close fourth. Not to mention that it actually physically hurt.

Next to you sits her current owner. On a good day, you’d call him handsome, but today isn’t really on your side or even his. He is on the thinner side with a mess of black hair that’s swept up in a cap he had on backwards. And his pale skin, seemed to be an ungodly shade of porcelain with the slightest touch of green. A testament to the fact that he is just as conflicted as you are. You had no idea how you’d go forth from this. He looked at you and grimaced, but you suspected it was actually a shitty try at smiling. However you were in no position to judge as you were unable to even make the corners of your mouth move upwards.

You phone rang scaring you for the second time today. It was Somin, probably wanting to know how shopping was going and if you and Jimin were ready to meet them. You felt the hot tears slide down your face, and you felt pathetic for crying again. You looked over a him, while furiosl wiping the tears away. “Sorry, I have to take this.” He nodded in response without looking up at you, simply staring at the two hybrids, as they continued in conversation.

You stood up from the bench and answered the call as your voice cracked, “H-hey.” You sighed and felt silly for taking the call now. Somin would know you’d been crying because your voice cracking was a telltale sign. “What’s wrong Y/n?” She sounded confused, not really understanding how you could be crying. From her last call with you, there was happiness on both sides of the call. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” There was a slight pause and then she answered. “Tell me.” That was all you needed. You walked away from the bench as fast as you could to get as far away as possible. You didn’t want either hybrid to overhear you. 

“Babe. Jimin just had some kind of a reuniting with this hybrid he used to know when he was in the labs. She was supposed to be dead because that what he told me, but she’s not. Kind of wish she’d actually disappear because this day has already been more than I can handle…”

 

After explaining the whole story, you were met with silence. You felt toyed with. Like you couldn’t believe something good was capable of happening to you without there being a catch involved. You heard Somin sniffle in the other side and you felt bad, knowing she was distressed since you were. “You want to come over and be a part of a Somin and Hobi sandwich?” You smiled, but it didn’t reach your eyes. You were thankful that she was attempting to make the day less sucky and make you feel wanted. She knew that would help your mood tremendously. However, you knew it wasn’t possible. You had Jimin now, and you most definitely couldn’t bring him to Somin’s after all the craziness that had just transpired. You know he’d feel bad that you would all be upset over something he couldn’t help that happened. “Minie, I can’t. Jimin would feel so left out.” 

“Like he really cares about how you might feel right now?” You were a bit surprised at her words, but you knew she was defensive of you and you knew that she was simply upset. But as upset and distraught as you were you knew it wasn’t Jimin’s fault. You spent the next few minutes defending him to Somin, letting her know it was a chance encounter. Something that could only happen to you. “Well, when things blow over a little bit and I can let go of being upset with Jimin and the way he upset you even though he clearly knows how you feel about him, Hobi and I will be glad to meet him.” You smile at her honest and sincere words knowing that she was simply letting you know she was on your side and was willing to hold a grudge if necessary. “Oh, I don’t think I’ll be telling Hobi though, he doesn’t like knowing about you getting upset. That would kill any chance of them starting a friendship.” She adds as an afterthought. You bite your lip and take a deep breath. “Thank you, I really want him and Jimin to at least have the chance to start a good friendship. Thanks for listening to me, it was just such a crazy day. Just thank you for everything, I have no idea what’s going to happen, but talking to you had definitely helped.” 

“You never want me to get all mushy on you, but you can say thanks a million times?” You giggled in response, which was a good sign. “You know how much I love you, I’d never leave you hanging! Just take care of yourself.” You smiled at her words. You knew she cared about you. “And don’t let him get away with this. He’s still a man. They need to squirm a little. Give him some silence. I give Hobi the silent treatment when he has been particularly naughty.” You laughed, “That would be so mean! He’s really sensitive and I wouldn’t want to diminish a chance at reconciling with him.” Somin sighed obviously exasperated with you. “Well still give him some space. You don’t want to say or do anything to upset him. So lock yourself in your room and be quiet, even if it’s just for one night. He has to know something wasn’t right about today. Think of it as damage control.” You nodded and hummed your agreement to her statement. “Okay Minnie, I’ll call you tomorrow. Thanks and love you!” You were positive Somin was smiling as she replied. “You know I love you just as much. See you soon.” 

Answering Somin’s call was just what you’d needed after this shitty day. She was a quite bit feistier than you, but her ending advice had made a great deal of sense. Give Jimin some space tonight and then in the morning let him know how you had felt. You thought it was a good plan. He was sensitive and while he might not like the space, it was better than brushing off your own feelings entirely or saying something rash. You hadn’t appreciated being ignored nor did you like that both him and Seulgi had demanded that you and her owner take them somewhere to catch up. You were actually quite shocked at him. He was almost a completely different hybrid. 

Maybe this is what Dr. Ravi had meant. He did tell you that once Jimin was comfortable enough with you to initiate skinship, he would open up to you. Maybe this is how he really was? Or maybe he was so perceptive and sensitive to others feelings and what they wanted from a companion that he could change his personality to match theirs? That was scary, but it would explain so much. Or maybe it was his Alpha personality finally showing through, finding his mate and being able to assert himself. You wanted to cry again just at the thought of Seulgi possibly being his mate. If that was the case, would he and her move into her owners house together or into yours? Would you have shared custody of Jimin? Would weekly or daily meetings have to be set up so that they could see each other? Would you have to take him back to the lab and explain the situation? You felt that this was crazy, how could Seulgi just show up and uproot your life.

A rather hard and painful pounding towards the front of your head began and started to grow more unbearable by the second. You had been thinking too much about everything thta would stress you and found your head swimming in problems, no solutions in sight. Absentmindedly, you had already walked back to where you’d been seated earlier. Something was off though. You started to scan the area and there was no one around. Did they leave? That wasn’t possible, you had driven everyone here, how could they all be gone? Had Jimin been so over the thought of you that he was willing to leave with this Seulgi hybrid and her owner? You had tried your best to grasp the situation at hand and not over analyze the situation. Maybe they just walked to another area of the park? You walked to the playground area, only to find a few kids playing with their parents nearby keeping an eye on them. You tried your best to stay calm. But you started to panic as there was no real explanation of where they could be. You felt the shallow breaths still in your throat, paining you to breath and the tears pricked at your eyes. What was going on? You couldn’t handle this much. Your throat started to hurt, as you were breathing and swallowing air rapidly in large gulps and it was making its way down the wrong pipe and then you felt it as your eyes fluttered shut, the calm.

 

The first inhale was large and your nose wrinkled as you winced at the smell. It was strong, and you were shocked as you didn’t recall owning any ammonia based products to clean with. Then you opened your eyes and closed them almost immediately as you realized that you weren’t home. The next thing that came to mind was the fact that you were outside. Then you heard the voices and there must have been a slight panic. A few placed *she’s alive and *she woke up alerted you to the fact that something must be wrong. 

“Y/N!” You snapped your eyes open this time not being able to place the voice that called your name. It took a few blinks for everything to come into view. *Jimin must be here. That was your first thought as to who could have supplied your name. However, as you shifted your head from side to side there was absolutely no Jimin in sight, which was disappointing.

You opened your eyes again and decided to focus on the situation at hand. There was a paramedic who had been trying for a little while to get your attention. When she saw that you had finally registered her, she tried to question you again. You however beat her to the punch. “What happened?” She smiled before responding. “Well, from some of the witnesses, you seemed to have been panicking and walking rather crazed. And then you collapsed right here. Seems you were having an anxiety attack. Using your phone, we spoke with Somin, your friend, and she said your were going through a lot in the last 2 days.” You had had a panic attack and fainted. 

You laid your head back down and closed your eyes in exasperation, ignoring the other questions that we being directed at you. Little bits and pieces came to you, slowly. You started to recall spending time in bed with Jimin while you were on the phone with Somin and Hobi. Then it was shopping with Jimin. His like of eucalyptus, how he had wanted more hoodies than t-shirts, so he *“could feel like I’m being cuddled all the time”, you had wanted to gather him in a hug right there, but you were feeling a little shy. Then you had picked out his purchases and made you way to the line. *Holding hands the entire time while walking through the store, you should have just hugged him in the dressing room. Then you recalled that whine that pulled at your heart, Jimin and Seulgi holding each other, and you feeling helpless.

Who would have guessed any different after the day you’d had. What a freaking day to be alive. You had actually looked forward to today, excited for it to take place. You felt like the entire universe was trying to pull the most epic prank that could be pulled on you. Except maybe it had started to go much too far and it was out of hand, practically spiraling out of control. 

The paramedic was finally able grabbed your attention with another question. “Y/n, does anything hurt?” You thought for a second, mentally and physically examining your body. *Everything seems fine, except for my heart. “Can you explain the heart pain a little more for me?” You widened your eyes at the fact that you’d actually said it out loud. Pulling through the shock, you thought for a second before answering. “Well, it’s more of a heartbreak pain than anything else. I kind of lost my hybrid.” She nodded at your admission in understanding, since the creatures were worth mini fortunes and typically used for companionship, you were however lamenting the fact that he probably wanted Seulgi now. She waved over someone that was behind you, and you got excited at the fact that it could most definitely the person you had been dying to see. The wait couldn’t have been more than a few seconds, but it was still excruciating.

When you heard a pair of shoes stop near you head, you fought the urge to close your eyes, but you allowed yourself to not look up at the person. It seemed that they had kneeled as you heard something touch the floor next to your head. Then when a hand came out and rested on your shoulder, you’re whole body tensed and froze and this time you shut your eyes. *What if it was Somin. What if they had no idea where Jimin was. What if it was simply some bystander who called 911 for you. Even worse, what if it was Seulgi, with no Jimin in sight. Your mind was racing at all of the possibilities, worry and anxiety oozing from you thickly, almost suffocating you. 

You were almost too scared to open your eyes, but you were glad when you did. It was Jimin who was kneeling down near you and he had a slightly guilty look plastered on his face. You felt for the first time, since he had reunited with Seulgi all those hours ago, relief flood through you. It was almost surreal the way you felt right now and a clear opposite to the way you felt merely seconds ago. The paramedic had broken you from your small reverie. “He told us he had been a little mischievous today. Making you anxious, and such. He also explained that he didn’t know much as you got him recently and suggested we call your friend Somin for any background information.” You locked eyes with Jimin’s timid brown irises, only to find his gaze soft and slightly worried. You were glad he at least still cared enough about you to resurface when you needed some help. Cared enough to be here right now, but you made sure to remember that his antics had been a large cause to the anxiety that had caused you to faint. 

 

Since you were okay with no sustained injuries, with the help of the paramedics and Jimin, you were pulled to your feet and brought over to a bench near the swings to be seated. They examined you and asked a few more questions. You were finally deemed fine enough to not need any serious medical attention and it would be fine to go home. 

Watching their retreating bodies was almost like releasing another small relief. Looking over to your right, Jimin was seated and seemed rather uncomfortable, playing with his fingers and looking anywhere, but at you. You were sure he knew he was part of the cause of this incident, however, taking some of Somin’s advice, you decided to skip out on talking. Silence might be the best option to help you avoid saying anything too rash. With that thought, you decided that you need to eat and you needed to relax. 

Grabbing both of his hands in yours, you helped him to his feet this time. You hadn’t eaten all day and the dizziness caught up to you, as you brought a hand to your head and tried to steady yourself. Jimin must have been able to sense this because he pulled you into his front and rubbed your back for a moment to help you calm down. After the nausea subsided, he surprised you by picking you up bridal style and started to carry you. “What are you doing?” You were shocked at his display towards you. He looked down at you for a second and then focused on the scenery in front of him as he walked with you in his arms, presumably heading to the car. “I’m going to take you to the car.” You hesitated, you were suppose to be giving him the silent treatment, not getting comfortable in his arms. “I can walk though. You can hold my hand to the car.” 

“You don’t feel well and you got dizzy. I saw when you fell, and I feel bad that I couldn’t have stopped it, and that I was part of the reason why it happened.” You wanted to forgive him. That pout on his full lips and the sincere look in his eyes had you ready to accept what he said. But you had to hold on to your resolve. You’d at least let him carry you to the car, so you wouldn’t faint on him. Maybe you could get an Uber home and just grab all of the bags from the trunk. 

You still felt that this wasn’t really okay after the events that took place today, but you couldn’t really argue. Your stomach was pleading to be fed and you’d gotten dizzy just a moment ago. You wondered how you would hold up for a short drive to a nearby restaurant or if that Uber would be better. You leaned into his neck and inhaled, he faintly smelled like a mix of you what you guessed was his natural scent and you smiled recalling him showering in your bathroom this morning, then you thought of those delicious abs. You had to stop yourself before your thoughts got carried away. 

His grip on you tightened slightly in response to your sniffing at his neck and your drifting thoughts, so you decided to stop, knowing that there needed to be a talk before you could get too comfortable in his arms again. He continued on and as you saw that you were approaching the parking lot, you felt a little unease. Wondering what the best plan of action would be. 

A timid, female voice snapped you out of our quiet reverie, “Is she okay?” That was Seulgi's voice for sure and without even trying she made you feel anxious again. In response to your anxiousness, Jimin held you a little closer and nuzzled the top of your head. You appreciated the comfort he was trying to bestow on you. 

“She fainted from an anxiety attack. I made her feel anxious today because we aren’t bonded and the lab expects her to look and care for me. I also think that when we left the bench area she was scared something happened to us.” He looked into your eyes, as if confirming, and you nodded. “I was scared. And today was a little more than I could handle. My mind was racing.” Jimin set you down gently but kept a hand on your mid-back to keep you steady. Seulgi went to move forward but stopped as if she wasn’t sure it was okay anymore. 

You smiled at her, and knew she was just hoping to comfort Jimin. “It’s okay Seulgi.” She moved forward but when her arms wound around your middle and she nuzzled into your neck you were surprised. She was sniffling at you as Jimin did the first time you’d met. You wrapped your arms around her in response and you slowly felt better. It was weird, you started to feel like you did before. None of the anxiety was apparent more was the worry, it was pushed out of your mind and it was replaced with calm. You settled into her hug and when she finally broke it a few minutes later, the calm subsided slightly, but her arms remained latched around your waist. 

For the first time, you held her gaze and there was a maturity that steadily streamed from her gaze. She broke the quiet. “Can you see why Jimin is special to me?” You smiled a little slightly catching on. Jimin could sense others feelings, and Seulgi could influence them. “I told Jimin, but I guess you weren’t around because we couldn’t find you. The doctor that adopted me before told me that Jimin and I shared the same egg donor. It explained our immediate like for each other and our special skills. We felt like a pack because we’re from the same pack. None of the other hybrids at the lab share the same egg donor, that’s why they don’t like each other.” She looked over at Jimin and smiled. He moved in closer and reached out to place his hand on her arm. 

You smiled and felt a little silly. You were looking at Jimin’s *sister. That was not what you were expecting especially from the way they were acting. But you weren’t really sure about hybrid dynamics. And if they felt the same way people did about being close with each other, especially between siblings. You’d have to ask Jimin about this later on. 

“I’m actually kind of ready to go home. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.” Seulgi’s owner had been waiting at the car and seemed exhausted. Seulgi separated herself from you and made her way over to her owner. She reached for his hand and his outward appearance instantly morphed into that of a well rested and content person. “I hate when you do that. But thanks. I feel better.” They shared a look, one that you assumed was between two lovers as there was something unsaid being communicated. You weren’t really jealous as you knew you’d have to work at it ever reach that level of intimacy with another person, but you felt wistful, wishing you’d have it one day.

 

You all filed into the car, this time not feeling bad that Jimin and Seulgi elected to sit together in the back. You made the short drive to the store from earlier intending to and drop Seulgi and Yoongi, as you learned from the drive there, to his car. They actually lived a few states away, but this store was Seulgi’s favorite and the one closest to their house had closed a few months ago. They were both visiting his family here and Seulgi’s insistent begging had brought them all the way to this store. It was a real chance encounter, but you were sure someone upstairs had a cruel sense of humor to send you through hell and back for absolutely no reason at all. 

Yoongi had given his number to Jimin to contact him and Seulgi with, maybe they could talk and stay connected. Yoongi couldn’t really afford a plane ticket very often but he would let you both know when he’d come this way again. 

Jimin moved to the front and was staring out of the passenger window and his head shifted towards the back window as you drove away from his old friend and sister. You were sure it was hurting him. So you reached out and held his hand. You knew you were able to get over the minor incident today. Aiming for better communication between you both would help strengthen your bond. It was still the beginning, you had plenty of time to get it right. 

 

Finding yourself full and relaxing against your plush couch was exactly what you wanted to end this crazy night. However, you and Jimin were currently dragging all of the purchases from today inside. He was smiling, probably excited to have so many things for himself as he problems was allows this luxury in the lab. You both set everything in the living room.

“I think that we should put the bathroom stuff away first, then we can sort out the clothes for your closet and in the morning we can fix up your room. Maybe we can get any furniture you might need? How does that sound?” Jimin looked happy at the prospect of having things to himself and your earlier guess seemed to be correct. “Your plan sounds really good! I like it.” You smiled and he grabbed the bags that held his shower needs and he made his way down the hall. 

You bent over and grabbed a few bags filled with clothes and headed to his room. When you saw him walk out of your room, confusion must have been written all over your face. He hastily addressed you with a blush starting to cover his face, “I-I just want to, you know, be closer to you. I’m not used to being alone. And if you’re nearby I feel better.” You nodded at him, following along with his story, but the same could be said of the hall bathroom. He was being weird. You decided to not question it right now. You could always move his stuff later on. He walked to the living room to grab the rest of the bags and you made the way into his room. Opening the closet, you found some winter coats on hangers and decided that reorganizing should wait for the morning. You started to simply place the clothes that had hangers on the rack. Jimin silently slid in next to you mirroring you and you smiled at his perceptiveness. Not only was he good at reading others moods, but at placing what was needed. For the millionth time in the past two days, you felt he’d be a great fit for you. 

He must have sensed how you felt because he slid closer to you and you were now brushing against each other’s arms as you hung something on the rack. You elbowed him in response to his slick move and he tried to hide his knowing smile. “You think your funny, huh?” You asked him. He could however read your good temperament and knew you were playing with him. “I’m not funny, I’m cute. And you know it.” You were surprised at his flirty response. He read your surprise and gloated in his small victory at your hesitation as he made eye contact with you. The warmth spread across your face but you refused to back down from the heavy gaze you were sharing. Your breath caught in your throat as you watched his pupils dilate and his eyelids grow heavy with lust. Jimin broke the gaze first with a smirk and continued with the task at hand feeling that he’d won yet again. 

You decided that two could play this game and you went to grab one of his new pairs of sneakers to put away. When you got back to the closet he must have able to read you intent curious as to what you had planned. Bending over just in front of him, had him emitting an audible swallow and then he took in shallow breath. You straightened up and looked at him with a smirk and victory written all over your face. You knew that he’d need time to cool off. “I’m going to shower before bed. You think you can put the rest of this stuff away on your own?” He was pink faced and his breath had fastened slightly, and he nodded at you. You lowered your gaze to see a ‘little’ bulge forming in his pants. Giggling slightly you made eye contact with him once again, as he reddened at his bodies admission that you had won. 

Making your way to the shower, you decided to actually have some private time, reaching for your waterproof toy. Then you locked yourself in the bathroom to blow off some much needed steam from the crazy day you had just suffered through.


	5. A Talk

For the first time in a long time, stepping out of the shower had you feeling refreshed. You began your after shower ritual and noticed your self induced glow. You hadn’t flicked your ‘bean’ in so long and you hadn’t been properly aroused in just as long. Both your removable shower head and toy got you to the blinding high you needed- _twice!_ \- and helped you loosen up. You no longer felt most of the kinks and tight knots running along your shoulders and lower back. And your neck and shoulders felt like butter. You didn’t even realize all the stress your body was holding in. 

You’d wrapped your hair up and thoroughly dried your body off. You applied your face creams and emulsions, feeling luxurious and letting yourself feel pampered. Sometimes you rushed through the ritual and it felt burdensome, but tonight you were in too good of a mood, all the stress that had accumulated suddenly lifted off and felt amazing. Almost as if you’d been holding your breath and you were finally taking your first deep breath as you began to rub the silky smooth body butter into your skin.

*

After the last bit of body butter was rubbed in, you grabbed your robe off of the back of the door and cinched the belt around your waist. Turning back to the mirror, you let your hair out of the towel and began your typical drying and styling routine. Once you were done, which felt like an eternity later, you opened your door to the bedroom. 

You were greeted by Jimin, laying quite lewdly with his legs spread and a hand resting extremely close to his man bits, on your bed, his head whipping in your direction as the door opened, probably snapping him from his quiet reveries. He looked comical with his usually calm eyes bulging wider that you thought possible.

“Can I shower now?” The rasp in his typically sweet voice made you a little curious, and Jimin seemed eager to leave your presence, not waiting for your answer and just taking it upon himself to leave. 

Your lady bits seemed to be working on overdrive, lubricating when you notice that there’s something hiding in his shorts. He whimpered just before he shut the door, probably sniffing you in the air, but most definitely from feeling the lust radiating off of you. 

You decide to dress in the most unflattering pair of pjs you owned, not wanting to perpetuate anything sexual with Jimin. You were supposed to be ignoring him for crying out loud, not making him lust after you. This was going to be a long night, you could feel it.

*

You had just finished up some work that you’d neglected the day before. A few papers were spread on your bed as you were typing a final email on your laptop when the bathroom door finally opened. You must have subconsciously done this to show there was no space for Jimin with you tonight. 

He did it again, exiting the bathroom in just a towel, that was wrapped loosely on his waist. You let your eyes admire him openly, appreciating the definition he had to work hard to get. You caught yourself and had to remind yourself that you needed to be ignoring him. So you had to cover up your open staring with something else, like you were taking an observation. 

“Did you work out at the lab?” You made eye contact with Jimin, finally as he smiled slightly, as if this was the reaction he had wanted, happy that you noticed something positive about himself. 

“Yes. My litter mates and I worked out often. They said that looking good for a mate was necessary, and for me it…” He just stopped talking, yet you could see the words were on his lips. 

Why would he just stop talking so suddenly? “You want to finish what you were going to say?” You inquired truly curious as to why he stopped talking, not letting your gaze fall any lower than his chin, which was extremely hard.

Leaning your head to the right, your left brow raised as you waited for him to finish what he had to say. He closed his mouth and opened his lips a few times and it annoyed you slightly as he displayed such a different personality earlier with Seulgi. He must have sensed the annoyance because his face fell. You felt bad knowing that while he knew how you felt, he didn’t understand the reasoning behind it. Even though it still wasn’t a good reason to be upset with him, since you knew how Seulgi had the ability to influence his behavior. 

“Jimin?” Dejectedly he walked out of your room without even looking back or acknowledging you. You knew you had to right this situation, even though you were banking on not talking to him, as Somin had directed you. You felt like you were failing at a simple directive. 

You gathered your laptop as well as all of your papers and placed them in your work bag. They all went to rest on your work table off to the side of your room. You slipped some comfy socks on and went to go talk with Jimin. As you approached his room, you thought better of the situation and decided to knock just in case you might possibly see something you shouldn’t. He made a noise from the other side and you took it as a positive. 

He was laying in the middle of the bed, sweatpants hanging low on his waist and no shirt. Although his delicious body was on display you didn’t ogle for too long, catching him wiping some tears away. You felt so upset, knowing that he was upset because you were shit at keeping your mood relatively peaceful. 

“Jimin. Could we talk for a little?” He sighed heavily as though he was expecting this. He sat up and nodded in confirmation, not looking at you. You opted to sit next to him, crawling towards him and he slightly moved away from you which you had to admit hurt you more than you expected. You sighed, and thought for a moment before you said the wrong thing and provoked an argument, but not quite sure that Jimin would even argue if given the chance. “I think you need to speak up a little more. You know, instead of jumping to conclusions when I feel an emotion. I don’t want you to feel so bad all the time.” 

He shook his head in understanding and then peeked at you. His face reddened as his eyes met yours, and you reached out against your will and cupped his cheek. You felt him lean ever so slightly into your hand and you knew that he still was okay with you, possibly just unsure of the emotions you displayed. “Can you tell me how you feel right now?” His eyes widened and he seemed genuinely surprised that you’d ask such a question of him. You sensed his hesitation, and continued, “I want you to tell me things. Anything and everything. I want to get to know you.” He nodded and his response again, and you saw that he was building up the courage to say something. 

Jimin made eye contact and scooted towards you slightly, “I’m so happy to be here. I want you to know that. I’m sorry about what had happened with Seulgi earlier. She has a way of manipulating how I feel. I didn’t realize you were gone until it was too late, and I’m sorry if I made you feel bad.” He seemed a little upset at what he was saying. You reached out and held his hand. He looked down and smiled at the connection to you. “I really like being here with you and you’ve been so nice, but sometimes your feelings are so intense. I just, I can’t take it. I’ve never dealt with something like this before.” His thumb rubbed small circles on the back of your hand and he seemed deep in thought. “I- um, I think that, maybe you... it’s just you affect me so much with even the smallest of emotional shifts.” 

This was something you were somewhat aware of, however you didn’t know that you in particular affected him so much. He was opening up and it’s what you asked of him. And it was a small miracle that he was even willing to give this much, even though he’d seemed upset just a few minutes before. You were right when you’d penned him as sensitive. And you have to continue schooling your emotions or at the very least explain why you felt the way you did. 

You looked at his face to see that he was already looking at you, waiting for your response. You sighed and laid down next to him and he moved even closer to you. With his head resting just above yours and his thumb still rubbing circles onto the back of your hand, you gave in. Damn, Somin and her unrealistic expectations of you. “Jimin. You’re so preciously sweet and I like you so much. And it was a miracle that you were even able to come home with me. I was going to give up on ever owning a hybrid and just get a kitten. But I’m glad that your here. And I haven’t ever really been upset with you until today. You have to know that. Today with Seulgi scared me.” He nuzzled into your ear and his warm, even breaths started to tickle. But you couldn’t be clouded by his comforting gesture.

You decided to continue, not wanting him to come to his own conclusions because they tended to be clouded with his misjudgement and inconcise reading of your emotions. Nor could you just let it go away simply because he was warming up to you. And then you felt it, the simmering pot of emotions that Somin must have foreseen, knowing you’d be upset. Maybe this was why she advised you to not speak to him about the situation tonight. “I’m responsible for you. You were given to me in good faith and written contracts. I am liable for you in every single way. What would I say to the lab, to the doctors, _to my friend who helped me get you_ , if you had actually disappeared. A hybrid costs thousands and thousands of dollars, that I don’t have, that I might never have. You scared me so senseless that I fainted from the sheer anxiety of losing you. And yet here I am, cuddled with you before bed trying to make you feel better after you misread my emotions.” Your heart started to race and you knew you were just working yourself up again. 

Jimin squeezed your hand in response and seemed to get where this was going. He sat up and exhaled loudly through his nostrils. He looked down at you in acknowledgment of how you were being more than understanding on his end. You could see the quiet reflection in his eyes, the understanding of his actions. It wasn’t completely his fault, however he could have been more sympathetic towards you. His earlier apology was accepted, yet he seemed to just jump to conclusions with you. You wished he would give when it came to you, as effortlessly as you seemed to give him. 

You ran your hands over your face and tried to hold back the tears of frustration you know were bound to spill without warning. The conversation had you reliving all the stress from earlier and brought all the tightness you had worked away in the shower right back and with redoubled force. He turned to you and pulled at your hand away from your face to get your attention. When you didn’t acknowledge him, he stood and moved around to the side of the pullout. He leaned down and scooped you up bridal style, the second time today. To say it didn’t make you swoon, even just a bit, was a lie, but you were still shocked at his sudden actions. You aimed to grab his shirt to steady yourself, but your hand was met with warm and thick muscle, forgetting he hadn’t put one on. He smirked at your wondering hands and you playfully punched his tight pec, wondering if you could watch him work out sometime. 

He brought you to your bed and laid you down, helping you to pull the comforter from underneath you and to tuck you in. Before he had the chance to walk out, you pulled him close and he acquiesced, sitting next to you. You were in quiet contemplation, rubbing your hand along his arm. “Can I give you pets and scratches?” His words caught you off guard, but you smiled and nodded nonetheless in excitement at him trying to initiate some kind of skinship. 

He scooted closer and went to work as he rubbed your head. His fingernails scratched lightly against your skull and had you closing your eyes to drown in the pleasure he was giving you. 

After a few minutes, you were itching to ask Jimin for something more. But you didn’t want to as you were unsure how it would come across. However he felt your curiosity. “What would you like me to do?” His voice was as sweet as ever, but it had that slight rasp from earlier tinging the edge of his voice and you decided you thoroughly liked it, more than you probably should. 

You gave it a shot hoping he’d be okay with your request. “Can you pull my hair? Not too hard.” He paused for a moment, caught off guard, but he tried tugging at your locks slightly as his hands began to weave into your soft hair. “A little harder.” 

You suppressed your moans as he began to pulling harder at your scalp. It was so relaxing and you had no idea that Jimin was so good at this. He had to have been feeling the euphoria dripping off of you and your moans were giveaways to just how relaxed you had begun to feel. 

“Would you like me to pet your back?” You opened your eyes and met his questioning eyes. You nodded and turned over, so he had free roam of your back. 

His hands slowly trailed to your neck and he began to massage you there. Rolling your neck and massaging the tension away. Your neck felt loose and you were hoping he’d be willing to do this more often. From your neck his hands ran down your back and squeezed and rubbed every possible kink that he could feel. Under his hands your muscles started to feel as loose as they had when you had initially gotten out of the shower. He was either a natural at what he was doing or he was really good at reading you. 

When he was done, and you assumed his hands had had enough, he stretched out next to you, laid on his side, and settled as close as possible against your side. You looked into his eyes and smiled, feeling warm and relaxed. Jimin smiled back and in a bold move, he brought his forehead against yours. He was so close, and you admired his face up close, watching his pink cheek, the way his long lashes fluttered close, the way he gazed longingly at you. It was all welcomed and you wanted whatever was going to happen with him, whenever he was ready to give it to you. You would accept it. 

*

Not even realizing that you had closed your eyes and started to drift off into sleep, you were shocked when Jimin was trying to untangle himself from you, “Where you going?” You reached out for him, as you realized he had also dozed off. 

Jimin yawned, “Gonna sleep in my bed now.” His eyes were so puffy and he looked so tired. You felt bad knowing how exhausting today was. You decided you simply wanted to keep him close.

“No... stay here. Sleep with me.” Jimin relented quite easily, either from sheer tiredness or the fact that the pull out mattress wasn’t very comfortable, you weren’t sure. He got back under the cover and his arms wrapped around your waist. You were both laying on your sides and facing each other, and after a little maneuvering Jimin settled his leg just over yours and started to snore lightly within seconds. You felt the tiredness and you gave into it rather than give anymore thought into what you were doing. 

You felt at ease sleeping with Jimin tucked next to you, smiling at his sleepy face, and what seemed to be sheer coincidence, Jimin smiled a small smile back. 

*

The next morning was surprisingly easy. After waking up you felt that it might become awkward between you and Jimin. However, sleeping right next to you seemed to make him feel completely at ease with you. You were starting to notice that the more affection he received, the smoother things went. It was as if by you touching him, even in the smallest of gestures, it reassured his sense of security and for the two weeks following he was also beginning to initiate skinship with you any chance he received. 

Everywhere you went he was glued to your side, not that you minded. His favorite form in the world of giving you attention while receiving some had to be when he would give you a back hug while you were cooking, like you were currently doing. 

Jimin was resting his chin on your shoulder and asking you questions about what you were doing. He also loved helping you, so whenever you needed something, he would grab it for you and then settle right behind you, and bask in the thanks you’d shower him in. 

Tonight was slightly different though, you had finally invited Somin and Hobi over to meet Jimin. Through the email questionnaire that the lab sent you at the end of each week, they deemed it acceptable for Jimin to be socialized with those close to you. He had told you he was excited to meet them, but regardless of what he said, you could sense the tension radiating off of him. He was absentmindedly squeezing your midsection and breathing was starting to become difficult.

“Jimin, can you set the table please?” You asked, slightly winded from his tight grip. You felt his hands impossibly tighten around you and for the first time you realized he might actually be more scared than nervous. You leaned back into his embrace and he sniffed at your neck, probably trying to be comforted by the looming uncertainty of what could happen. 

Looking around at what you had completed, you decided Jimin need some reassurance before your guests arrived. Your mashed potatoes were as creamy as they were going to get, the meatloaf was finished and resting, the salad Jimin had made was chilling in the fridge and you’d already arranged the roasted veggies on their serving plate. You turned around in Jimin’s arms and he pulled you closer to him, smiling since he was now receiving a hug as well. 

“I want to stay in your arms. I feel safe here… and loved.” This freaking teddy bear of a being knew just how to melt your heart and make you feel giddy, whispering such sweet words in your ear, with his soft voice. Sometimes he said these kinds of things to get out of helping, but right now, you knew he was legitimately nervous. You looked up and pinched his cheeks lightly, the full pink cheeks were set in a frown and you wanted to change that. 

“It’s just Somin and Hobi, you like them. And we talk all the time on the phone. It’ll be fine.” He looked at you as if he wasn’t really sure of how fine things could actually go. His face screamed denial at your statement, and a slight pout formed on his face. “You were so excited when we set up the dinner. What happened?” You brought your hands up to cup his cheeks and he leaned into your touch. 

With the saddest look he could muster, he gave his reasoning. “I’m scared they won’t like me… no one really ever did. Only you and Seulgi… All of my litter mates, they didn’t le-” You cut him off before he could continue with his self deprecating monologue. 

“You are the sweetest, cutest, cuddliest teddy bear in the whole world and I know that MY amazing and welcoming friends will love you. You’ll get to know them better everytime we meet up and it will go well. Don’t give up before we’ve even tried.” He loved being praised, but the compliments you showered him with had no affect on him tonight. His face remained turned down in a frown. 

“Okay.... I’ll try my best.” He seemed so stuck on the negative past experiences that had shaped his life that he didn’t realize life could get better. You were glad he chose you those few weeks ago, you’d show him that life was better than what he knew. You felt you owe’d him that much at the very least.


	6. Little Bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave some kudos or a comment! And thank you so much for reading!! I appreciate all the hits guys!

A knock in the front door alerted you to the arrival of Somin and Hobi. You should feel exclusively happy that they were finally going to meet Jimin. However only moments before he confided that he was worried, more so than he should be if you were being honest. You had never known Somin to be rude when it was uncalled for. As for Hobi, he was a literal ball of sunshine. They would be welcoming and accept Jimin, no questions asked. 

However, it seemed engraved in your little teddy bears mind that he was going to screw something up. So you had to orchestrate the night to work for you. 

Looking back up at Jimin, you rose on your top toes and placed a small peck on his cheek. He squeezed you tighter and it seemed to communicate his nervousness and apprehension. He leaned down and nuzzled into your neck and placed a small peck on a particularly sensitive spot that momentarily weakened your knees. His arms around your waist was the only reason you didn’t collapse to the floor. Sensing your reaction, he placed a second lingering kiss to the same spot, and this time you moaned slightly into his ear. Loving the sound he coaxed out of you, he sucked on the same spot causing a whimper to fall from your lips. 

The doorbell rang again and it snapped you out of the lust filled haze surrounding the two of you. You pushed him up slightly and placed a light kiss to his plush lips. “Later Jimin. I promise.” He smiled, excited at the innocent prospect of getting more kisses from you. He didn’t really know what to expect. But he could smell your arousal and it made him wonder if the other hybrid would be able to notice it as well. 

You leaned back breaking his embrace, but grabbing his hand and interlocking your fingers together. You made way to the front door and the closer you got the louder Hobi got. You knew he was happy to have another hybrid friend. The puppy was as sweet as sugar. They would get along amazingly well, you were sure of it. 

Jimin whined slightly, and the sound broke your heart slightly, but you choose to ignore it for right now, simply squeezing his hand in yours. Jimin had come to be a master at manipulating you, and you knew he didn’t want to meet them due to his own hang ups. If his upsetness continued through the night, then you’d ask them to leave, but as for right now, he hadn’t even seen them yet. 

You unlocked the door and if possible Hobi got louder and you heard Somin laugh at his silliness. When the door opened, you were greeted with the sight of your best friend and her hybrid that you hadn’t been able to see in over two weeks. Jimin squeezed your hand back and then made sure to move behind you, his free hand looping around your waist and pulling you close to him, while burying his head into your neck and inhaling deeply at your scent. You reached up with your free hand and rubbed his head softly massaging his ears and you felt his immediate relaxation. You made it a point to remember to grab some of the eucalyptus oil you had purchased, to help calm him further. 

Somin was surprised at his unwelcoming behavior to say the least, but she had Hobi’s hand tightly held in her own making sure the puppy wasn’t going anywhere. “Hey Minnie!” You smiled at her and nodded her in as both of your hands were currently busy. She pulled Hobi inside who was simply staring at Jimin, in shock that there was truly another hybrid that he was going to meet. He tried to reach for you both, but Somin pulled him towards her and she just shook her head, softly reminding the pup, “Hobi remember what we talked about?” The puppylike whine that escaped from Hoseok tore at your heart and you felt Jimin snap his head up and straighten his body. 

You knew your sensitive souled baby was feeling torn between wanting to make Hobi feel better and wanting to continue hiding and ignoring them. 

“Are you… feeling sad, because of me?” Jimin’s soft voice graced everyone and you made sure to focus on being happy. He liked to please you above everything and if he knew you were happy that he was engaging with them, he’d only continue to do so. 

Hobi whined again, maintaining eye contact with Jimin and a single, precious tear fell down his cheek. Jimin whined in return at the scene and you felt a little sad that their first meeting had to be so emotional. His hand slowly left your torso and reached hesitantly out for the whining puppy. You were beyond touched. Hobi reached out too and whined again as Somin wasn’t really letting him go or move closer to Jimin. And as if he wanted to shock you all further, he let go of your hand and moved from behind you to inch closer to Hobi. 

When he finally got close enough to touch him, you saw him falter, as if he finally realized what he had truly done. But Hobi whined once more and it sealed Jimin’s resolve to comfort him. He reached for Hobi’s hand and moved slightly closer to sniff at him. As they both seemed to be driven by smell, they continued sniffing at each other from a distance and Hobi was extremely calm and unrushed in his perusal of Jimin. Somin and you made eye contact and broke it just as quickly in case something were to happen. You were both beyond surprised, but you shouldn’t be as this was the same exact way Jimin had greeted you initially.

The boys made it to each other’s necks, sniffing and scent checking each other. And then Hobi’s tongue came out. As if I’m slow motion you watch it snake out and lick Jimin on the neck. You were so scared, wondering what the reaction would be that you stomach immediately tightened up in fear. However the giggle that escaped Jimin’s lips contrasted so deeply with the scene that you had imagined in your head, that you still felt unsure of what you should do. Most of the pressure lifted, but you were still nervous and scared of what could happen. 

Hobi kept up his tasting of the other boy, licking Jimin’s neck and showering him in dog kisses and Jimin accepted them and giggled nonstop at the puppy’s antics. Once again, you and Somin made eye contact and this time you sensed her relief and happiness at their acceptance of each other. 

Hobi pulled back from Jimin’s neck, hands still gripping the other’s as if they both now were inseparable. “Do you want me to pet your ears?” 

Jimin’s eyes widened at the offer. “Yes. It’s my favorite… how’d you know?” 

Hobi smiled knowingly at the boy. “Because Y/n gives the second best pets in the world. And she loves to scratch ears.”

Jimin nodded in acknowledgment, “Yeah, she really likes to do that, but who gives the first best?” Slight confusion marred his face, as he didn’t understand how anyone could be better than you at giving pets and rubbing ears. 

“My owner Somin. Her pets are amazing! Simply the best. She pets my ears and scratches them. She rubs my back too. That feels really good! The best pets she gives are when she uses her tongue on my-” A red-faced Somin reached out a hand to close over Hoseok's mouth saving herself from further embarrassment as he had once again divulged a little too much information. 

You blushed a little for Somin and decided to announce dinner. Jimin’s head tilted to the side and his brows furrowed in question that he directed at you, he didn’t really understand the blunder. You didn’t really want to explain it to him though. You decided changing the topic should help everyone to move on and stop thinking further about the puppy’s fumble. “Well, if you guys can help me take the delicious meal to the table, we can eat!” 

Jimin smiled wide, temporarily distracted by the thought of food, as he loved everything you made and accepted anything you put in front of him. In the past two weeks he had filled out just a little more, and his cheeks had rounded slightly. You were grateful that he was getting a good share and that he was being satisfied. He grabbed Hobi’s hand and led him to the kitchen. Seeing that they were going to get along and having started the evening so well made you feel relieved. Jimin was so pessimistic before that it carried over to you. Now that they were getting along yu felt you could relax a little bit more. 

_________

The table was set to perfection and the food was arranged beautifully. The aroma of a warm, home cooked meal made you feel good. Most importantly it was who you were sharing it with, your life long friends and the new addition of Jimin. 

You were proud of yourself and of how life seemed to be turning out. Jimin was making his mark in your close friend group and he was calm, you couldn’t ask for any more. He and Hobi had sat next to each other, the older hybrid explaining the nuances of dancing and how some people didn’t have the natural talent and body awareness that he happened to possess. He told Jimin that he could try teaching him how to dance a new choreography he had learned yesterday, after dinner. He felt that Jimin had a rather graceful walk and that he might have some talent in dance. Jimin smiled at that. You knew that his litter mates had made him dread meeting people and that he never really received any positivity from them. His interaction with Hobi was making your heart swell, you knew that while Hoseok had a way of being blunt he would never intentionally hurt Jimin and would apologize anyways if he realized that he messed up. 

Somin nudged you, happy that things were also going well. You knew she had also secretly craved for the boys to get along just as much is you had. It would make hanging out and being around each other easier. You decided to engage her in conversation and catch up I want you had missed out on as you hadn’t really had her to yourself for the last two weeks to talk to.

She caught you up on all the gossip, the latest he say she say, a new mall that had opened a town away but had a few really great stores that you needed to check out. She told you of the open house that Hobi’s dance school would be hosting in a few months and she’d want you and Jimin to be present to help her cheer Hobi on.

Then she talked about the strip mall she owned, how it was holding up and how someone had made a multi-million dollar offer for it. She had refused and was trying to figure out what they had wanted to place there in order to capitalize on a income increase and bring up the value. You simply followed her conversation as you didn’t really understand all the logistics of the technical terms she was using, but she like to think while talking, and since you were such a great listener and her closest confidant, it made sense to divulge in you. 

When you glanced to the opposite end of the table where the boys were seated, you were pleased that they were eating and helping themselves to the food. Hobi was playing big brother making sure Jimin had enough veggies on his plate and Jimin did a great job of being the cute and obedient little brother. Their conversation flowed nicely and they seemed to get along well. It was another heartwarming moment since you’d gotten Jimin and anything that had stressed you out initially seemed to be pushed further and further back in your memory. You knew he was happy with you and you reciprocated the feeling wholeheartedly.   
______

The whole atmosphere after dinner was calming, everyone stuffed full of your delicious food and relaxing for the evening. It gave you a sense of pride and happiness, you helped to create something beautiful today and you could bask in everyone’s praise that dinner was amazing. 

Both boys were in the living room, where Hobi was teaching Jimin how to dance to his routine. They seemed to be getting along wonderfully and every now and then there was a burst of laughs and giggles emanating from the playful pair. You and Somin decided to give them so space and let them get along with each other. 

You were glad that Jimin wasn’t attached to you. You loved it but you wanted him to function without you around all the time. Especially since you would have to be traveling for an all day training in a few weeks. His liking of Hoseok was a godsend since Somin would caring for him. He had yet to try and really get to know her, you were hoping that during the movie you’d all be watching later tonight, they could somehow get a little closer. 

___

You were both in the kitchen, relaxing after clearing off the table. The leftovers were packed away with enough put away for your guests to take some home and the dishwasher was loaded and running.

Enjoying an after dinner glass of wine which happened to be the sweetest red you’ve ever had and thoroughly enjoying it, was a superb way to bring the night to a close. Sipping and feeling at peace in your life, you’d never thought this day would come. 

“So how’s it really going?” She leaned her chin in her palm and faced you completely, her elbow making contact with the table to hold her head up. 

You smiled, “I’m feeling happy. I’m really glad tonight is going so well. The boys seem to really get along. They can’t stop laughing.” It was something you’d dreamed about for a really long time, just being content with where you were in life and enjoying the moments as they make came. Now here you were, everything you wanted in the picture as well. You were feeling rather invincible. Or it could be the wine making its way to your head. “It’s also slightly surreal.” 

Somin nodded in understanding. She knew the life you’d lead and the things you’d gone through. She knew the battles you’d faced and most importantly, she’d been there to help you through them.

“I’m happy too, Y/n. I don’t think I’ve ever cared for someone else as much as I’ve cared for and cheered you on. You just make me so proud.” Running through Somin’s mind was all of the struggles you’d faced and the grace you used to deal with them. You were such a role model to her in a lot of ways. She was only proud of you. “I’m really glad you talked to Dr. Ravi though, even though I know how you feel about ‘handouts’, but this is what you needed. It’s what Jimin needed. You both seem so good for each other, and you understand him so well.” 

“Thanks for the compliments, keep ‘em coming!” You blew her a kiss and she winked at you before you both broke into a fit of giggles. 

The conversation continued becoming lighter and filled with future to-do’s for you both to enjoy. The boys were seemed to be equally matched in terms of activeness and would be great buddies for amusement parks and other fun trips. You both planned accordingly and gradually made your way to the living room. Somin had stopped at her one glass, as she had to drive home tonight, but you were on your third feeling pretty loose and relaxed, not quite tipsy though, since you drinking on a full stomach. 

Plopping on the couch and nearly sloshing your drink on yourself, you took a deep breath trying to ground yourself. Somin has brought some action movie over that Hobi was raving about and she popped it in the Blu-ray player. Calling the boys over wasn’t necessary as the puppy had watched it so often the first trailer had him practically jumping over the back of the couch to nab a good spot. 

Here was the inevitable problem, that hadn’t even crossed your mind until it had presented itself in front of you. The puppy had laid his head in your lap, stretched his long body across the seats of the couch and rested his feet on Somin’s lap. So used to the position, you didn’t even bat an eye. It was not until Jimin had walked to the front of the couch and stopped in front of Somin, realizing that he had been left without a spot that you had wanted to crawl into a hole. The anxiousness you felt was surely being swallowed up and turned into something worse by Jimin. 

However, Somin grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit on her lap. Hobi had moved his feet in danger of having them squished and had a look of shock at the incredulous behavior of his owner. She had your little teddy bear wrapped in her arms and widened her legs to let his bottom rest comfortably on the couch cushion and his back was resting comfortably against her front. He was ready to squirm out of her grip, you could see it in the way he was ready to move. But Somin must have anticipated his reaction so she sneaked her hands to his head and began to massage tenderly, sporadically massaging his blond ears and he simply melted against her calming hands. 

Jimin stayed right where he was and his hands awkwardly resting on his lap and his fingers were twitching slightly. You knew he was torn between enjoying the relaxing touch and wanting to be held by you. You calmed yourself down and relaxed, knowing that if you lost your anxious edge he would lose his. 

Surely enough, he was relaxed and reclining in her grasp. They looked so cute cuddled and he was getting to know her touch and become a bit more comfortable with her. 

You immediately began to give Hobi scratches and rubbed at his ears. You knew that he had never before experienced having to share Somin with anyone and this was actually a test in his ability to remain calm and collected. 

For the duration of the movie, you could feel the way Hobi kept watching Somin and Jimin. You didn’t know if he was completely okay with the situation or not, but he was remarkably good at reigning in his possessiveness towards Somin as she cuddled with the other and first hybrid he’d ever had to share her with. Jimin was receiving some of Hobi’s favorite pets from his favorite pair of hands and in turn, you couldn’t deny there a bit of jealousy on your end as well. Jimin had accepted her and was receiving more skinship than you’d been able to give him the first night you brought him home. 

It wasn’t his fault, as you had to be honest with yourself and realize that you and Jimin were in a different place altogether. His rushed acceptance of her would prove to be a good thing as he wasn’t aware that she would be taking care of him soon enough when you would be out of town. 

To be as fair as possible, you made sure to lavish Hobi with the best rubs and scratches you could give him. He was such a good puppy, glancing up at you with those huge, sad puppy dog eyes that screamed for Somin’s attention, something you were positive he never had to ask for. You made sure to give him some peanut butter with his dessert later on. 

As the movie played and you did your best to not feel jealous, it was hard but you tried. You focused on the story line and finished what you declared as your last glass of wine for the night. Occasionally, there was a well placed joke and hearing Jimin’s adorable giggles made your stomach clench in jealousy, Hobi’s rumbling laugh was nice, but he wasn’t yours. You made a point to keep yourself relaxed. 

However, if you’d been just a hint more perceptive you would have noticed Jimin’s hurried sideways glances. His head never turned, but his eyes kept looking for you, begging for your attention. He was hoping you’d save him, not leave him with Somin. He liked her, she was nice and her pets were almost as good as yours, but he wanted to be resting his head on your lap and having you press a kiss to the top of his nose, or his lips if he was really lucky. He felt the way your body tensed with jealousy as he giggled, so he tried to giggle at everything Somin laughed at to goad you call him towards you. But you never did. It made him feel unsure of what you were jealous of, were you jealous of him being cuddled with Somin, or were you jealous she had a happier hybrid like Hobi? It was possible since you had known him for so long. Jimin swore he felt a little bit of possessiveness in your jealousy, but like always he wasn’t sure of how you felt.   
___

Everyone stood and stretched as the credits rolled across the tv. The blinds in the living room had been drawn, but no light had filtered through for hours. Your feet carried you to the kitchen and stopped at the patio doors. You looked out on the calm, dark night and admired your beautiful garden slightly blowing in the light breeze. You might go enjoy the garden bench, after your guests left. Jimin loved the garden as much as you did, so there was no doubt he would join you. Lightly reflecting on everything, you realized you enjoyed tonight even if everything didn’t happen exactly as you had wanted, it happened in the best way possible. 

“Y/n?” Jimin had come up behind you, quietly seeking some of your attention. You turned to face him and smiled, as you were just thinking about him, but it faltered as you you saw the frown etched on his face. You closed the short distance between the two of you, cradled his face in your hands. 

“What’s wrong, little bear?” You were concerned, since he didn’t seem upset during the movie. His arms snaked around your waist with his hands resting lowered than you were used to and he lifted you up so that you were able you look him directly in the eye. You wrapped your legs around his midsection, helping him keep his grip on you and wound your hands around his neck. He was just looking into your eyes, as if trying to convey his feelings silently. It wasn’t really working and you were sure he didn’t want to talk with others in the house. He was just being his usual shy self, so you pressed a kiss to his nose, then to each of his cheeks and even a quick one to his lips, and as you pulled back he followed you slightly enjoying the feeling as much as you did.

They were so soft and would feel good anywhere he pressed them on your body. You could feel it now, the quiet burn slowly traveling through your body from earlier. The arousal began to course through you, and you squeezed your legs, rubbing your core slowly and carefully against him enjoying the feel of being in his arms and stole a downward glance, watching him grind into you as well. By the third grind you felt the muscle start to become firmer and you faltered, looking up at him. His eyes were heavily lidded and the pupils were nice and dark, and one more rut had him pressing himself hard against you, needing more friction. You understood where this would be headed. So you stopped. 

You loosened your legs, and he left you down gently. His eyes had bulged open and you realized what you had done. You’d both been a little too ready for something that couldn’t happen until your guests were gone. So you’d see them out. 

Out of habit more than anything, you both found each other’s hand. Walking towards the sound of voices with Jimin behind you, you saw that Somin was gathering up her purse and Hobi was carefully placing the Blu-ray Disc back into its case. 

He looked up at you both, and made eye contact with Jimin. “You should come to my dance school, all the teacher’s are really good and you definitely have rhythm. What do you say, little bear~? .” He sang the nickname that you had used on Jimin and giggled. You chalked this up to his canine hearing being pretty good and had picked up on your conversation. 

Jimin moved from behind you and shook your hand out of his. “Don’t call me that and don’t make fun of me!” His yell had shocked you all. Then he turned and look you straight in the eyes, he was upset but you also saw the hurt. “I thought you said that your friends wouldn’t make fun of me!” The look of sadness on his face made you regret the whole night.

Before he could walk away, you grabbed at him and move in front of him, blocking his getaway. “Jimin stop. Hobi is joking with you. Please calm down.” He refused to meet your eyes. “Remember when I tried to push you further than you were ready for? Friends make jokes with each other.” 

He didn’t seem like he wanted to hear any of it, thoroughly pissed off at your insolence and lack of understanding. He hated being teased, despised it and thought it was all behind him forever, only to find that in the place he felt the safest, it was still haunting him. 

“I want Hobi to leave, please. I don’t feel good and I’m tired.” The whine that choke from Hobi’s throat was unbearable, even Jimin winced knowing that he caused it. Hobi quickly made his way to Jimin and scooped him into a crushing back hug. 

“NOOOO! I’M SOOOOO SOR’RY! I DON'T WA’NT YOU TO HATE MEEEE!” You were mildly shocked at Hobi’s cries and pleads to make Jimin change his mind. 

He wiggles from Hobi’s grasp and turned, effectively disappearing down the hallway and you heard a door slam. The night had been ruined. 

You didn’t know tears were falling down your face, and you had seemingly forgot to tell Somin and Hobi the most important fact about Jimin. “He used to get teased and picked on at the lab. He despises it. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you guys.” You voice started to shake and you knew that you’d be crying in a little bit. 

“I- I didn’t know! I’ll go apologize! I thought that- the nickname was just cute! I’m sorry!” Hobi had begun to cry and had gotten a small case of the hiccups. Before he could tear down the hallway. Somin has stopped him and began to comfort her crying puppy. She was hugging him and held him close to her. You knew he was upset at what had happened, and he most definitely hadn’t intended to offend Jimin. 

“I am so sorry Y/n. I think we’ll go now, so you can sort everything out?” Somin looks at you almost questioning what her next step should be. 

“No. Hobi needs to talk to him now. He’s… just upset and misread the situation.” You hesitated not really wanting to call him sensitive as that could further upset him. “I’ll bring him out of the room. You guys wait here.”

Somin protested and told you that it would be better to talk in the morning, when the hurt wasn’t so fresh and they would be less emotional. “I’m so sorry I wish I could change this whole night.” She lead a crying Hobi to the front door and you were following behind. 

“Don’t think like that. We didn’t always get along and were really close now. It just bothers him. Especially because I told him he could be safe here.” Somin nodded at your words and gathered you in a hug. 

“I’m going to come over tomorrow around lunch. I’ll bring something to eat for us all. We should just calm the boys down tonight.” She kissed you on the cheek a gave you final squeezed before letting you go and walking Hobi out the door. 

With both of them gone you could finally talk to Jimin a get to the root of the problem. You made your way down the hall, and to your relief it seemed he had slammed the door to your room. At least he wasn’t going to close himself off you. You twisted the knob and to your surprise it opened. However a quick sweep of the room unveiled that Jimin was nowhere to be found. You moved in to look under the bed and he wasn’t there. You quickly went to your closet and again your search turned up empty. 

“I don’t think he’s in here….” The words seemed to fade into nothing as you said them. You made quickly for the en suit and he wasn’t in the bathroom either. Panic started to flood through you. The terror of something happening to him started to eat at you once again. 

You looked over the room again and you realized that one of your windows was open, you quickly padded over to it to see that he was probably long gone. You didn’t see him anywhere and in a moment of horrible judgment you threw yourself from the window. 

You were only on the first floor, but the pressure of landing on your bottom felt unreal and had knocked the wind out of you. You laid there unsure of if you could even get up. You gave it a try, and the whimper that followed let you know that something was wrong.


End file.
